


I Must Be Dreaming

by Kaymist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bonding, F/M, Friendship/Love, Light Angst, Mental Health Issues, Slow Burn, time/dimensional travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2020-03-21
Packaged: 2020-03-22 07:47:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 61,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18984202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaymist/pseuds/Kaymist
Summary: Sometimes you read enough fanfiction that you dream about it. Then you wish it actually was a dream. Katherine learns the hard way that it's not all sunshine and roses to find herself tied to a world on the cusp of war. Magic is a lot more dangerous than the books make it out to be.





	1. Recognition

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Wow. First time posting something on AO3. This is an idea I've been slowly working on for the past half a year. I've got a good bit already written, at least 100,000 words. Though some will go through heavy edits later as I adjust things! Seeing as I'm not too familiar with the tagging system, I'll add more as they become more relevant or anyone points one out that I need. Same for the summary. I'm absolute shite with them. I have no beta, so if there's any blaring mistakes, feel free to let me know. Or if you just like it? Enjoy~

This was it. It was finally finished. The apartment was hers. Not as big as her last, but still bigger than what the pictures had shown. And she loved it! The walls were empty and white; ready for her to do whatever she wanted with them. Maybe she would paint something on them. The landlady had said it was fine as long as it was painted over before she left. She would have to start sketching out some ideas. Something _he_ would have hated.

It was amazing. She was finally free of it all. A new place filled with only her things. No one to tell her what should or should not be done. She, Katherine Kenn - wait, no - Katherine Jones was free. Yes, she was a Jones again. It had taken ten months of fighting, two lawyers, endless paperwork, and one restraining order, but it was done. Greg fucking Kenning was out of her life. And she couldn’t be happier.

Kat spun slowly in place, smiling to herself as she took in the piles of boxes and pieces of furniture she and her mom had managed to struggle here in the back of their old pickup truck. Each box was labeled neatly, ready to be unpacked and put wherever she wanted. The excitement was almost too much. She stopped her spinning when a certain box caught her eye and sat down with before it.

The cardboard was stained and beaten up with the words on top wrinkled and hard to read. She smoothed the lid of the old banker box as best she could and felt a swell of joy. ‘Favorite Books’ scribbled in her own handwriting. Oh, god, this was from so long ago. Twelve years to be exact. Twelve years since she left her childhood home to move away for college. When she’d packed up the seven books that started her down the long road of...well, fictional geekhood, she supposed.

She lifted the lid and sighed at the sight of a familiar face. Messy black hair, bright green eyes behind round glasses, flying on broom in that silly striped shirt. Harry Potter. The source of all her odd dreams, her first scratchy drawings, and any number of horribly written stories in old notebooks instead of listening to teachers lecture in class. She’d come far from that point, considering the mountains of commissions she had for the very same thing she was looking at. But to see the start of it all again was bittersweet.

She hadn’t even looked at the original books in ages, having memorized everything by this point. And, oh, how she had made sure the _memorize_ all of it. The book was old, well used. The cover was torn and frayed, spotted with stains. She picked it up carefully, catching the loose pages that tried to slide out from the bindings. First edition hardback, released on 1998. The odd American one, where they for some stupid reason changed the name of the damn stone from Philosopher to Sorcerer. Inside the cover was her horribly written name, scribbled on by a proud ten year old.

A laugh escaped her when she realized that as of this year, the series was twenty years old, in American, at least. Fuck, she felt old. She set the book down and pulled out the rest. Each one was laid out carefully in a semi circle around her, but one in particular pulled her attention. The Prisoner of Azkaban. Her favorite, but only because it introduced her favorite set of characters. The Marauders.

They hadn’t been her favorite initially. It’s a bit hard for a ten year old to understand or connect with war torn and emotionally broken thirty-three year old men stuck in a dramatic story of death, love, and betrayal. But once she’d gotten a bit older, read into their pasts, she’d fallen in love with them. Not literally, of course. No. They became her one of her main sources of inspiration. She had whole sketch books full of the four men in different stages of life. Hell, her portfolio’s center piece was Remus Lupin, leaning against his desk at Hogwarts, Harry before him, grindylow in lurking in the tank behind him. Her best traditional piece from college.

She flipped through the pages, stopping at the chapter where the kids were on the train, gaping at Lupin as he huddled up beside the window and slept. Tired, beaten down, covered in scars with sandy brown hair that was starting to grey. A smile pulled at Kat’s lips as she traced her fingers over the words. He was such a tragic but beautiful character, just like Sirius. They were both the ones she loved the most. Opposites in personality, but both from troubled childhoods. One calm, thoughtful, and kind, the other hot headed, aloof, and impulsive. Both fiercely loyal, brave, and always did what was right. True Gryffindors.

Kat placed the book down with a wistful sigh. It was a shame that it was all fiction. She picked up the box the check for any loose pages and blinked when something rolled and rattled along the bottom. Curious, she reached in, groped about, and pulled out a long, thin object. When she held it up, her heart gave a start.

It was a wand! But wait, why was there a wand in here? She didn’t have one, as much as she had always wanted one. Had begged and pleaded with her parents to buy one but nothing had come of it. Well, regardless, the thing was pretty. A pale grey, almost white wood with shades of light yellow in the ripples of the grain. It wasn’t smooth like the wands from the movies, but knobbly and crooked with knots and a bit of bark here or there. Though the handle seemed finished. It was sanded smooth with intricate designs of flowing and interlocking feathers. In the center of one side was a crest; a rearing griffin with a knights helm above it.

Her mouth dropped open when she realized that it was the Jones family crest. The same one her dad kept proudly mounted above their mantel at her parents house. What in the actual fuck was a half made wand with her family’s crest doing in here? Did her dad try to make it for her when she was a kid and just forget about it? No. There was no way that would happen. He hated her love for the series. Told her it was stupid and magic wasn’t real. Then where had it come from?

She frowned down at it, running her finger over the beautiful designs. Well, there was no way of knowing now. But...she could have a little fun with it. She’d always wanted a wand. The wand rolled easily between her fingers and she admired how light it was. She jumped to her feet, jabbing the wood forward like a sword, and laughed at herself.

“How did some of those spells go again,” she muttered, straightening and staring thoughtfully at the wood. How about… “ _Expelliarmus_ !” The word was followed by a spiraling jab. “ _Protego_ !” This time she slashed while dancing from one foot to the other, like a fencer. “Eh... _stupefy_!” The last jab was the muscles in her arm protest, still sore from the moving earlier.

She let her arm drop by her side, absently twirling the wood in her fingers again. God, what was she doing? Something stupid, that’s what. A thirty year old woman, prancing about in her apartment with a fake, but very nice wand. “Real smooth, Kat,” she scoffed, fiddling more with the wand before holding it up to look over it again. It felt warm in her hand. Warmer than if it had just absorbed some of her body heat. “I have no clue where this came from, but I think I’ll keep it. I’m sure dad would get a kick out of the carvings, even if it is something for _magic_.”

A glance out the window showed the sun starting to get low in the sky. Damn, had she been sitting around reminiscing for that long? She needed to unpack at least a few things! She could always figure out where the wand came from later. She gave it one last spin then dropped it with a yelp when a jolt of pain shot up her arm. “Ow, fuck!” she hissed, holding up her hand. There was a single white splinter of wood was jutting from the meat of her thumb, dug a good quarter of an inch in. Blood was already welled up and dripping down. “Son of a bitch, it wasn’t sanded down enough!”

Kat growled and looked down, only to shriek when she realized that she was bleeding on the floor, dangerously close to her books. A few drops had already fallen, most landing on the stupid piece of wood. She suppressed the urge to urge to kick it. As annoying as a splinter was and the wood now stained, it was still pretty. She plucked the wood from her thumb with a grimace, stuffed it in her mouth to keep it from bleeding everywhere, and bent down to pick the wand up, but froze when she saw it.

It was clean. There were drops around it, leaving an outline of where the excess had ran off, but the wood itself was completely bare of any blood. She dropped to her knees and picked it up, turning and squinting at it. Nothing. “What the…” It was untreated wood. Not sanded down, no sealant on it. It should have stained the damn thing. But how?

Curiosity peaked, she pressed her still bleeding thumb to it, then pulled it back. It left a bright red print over the crest, turning the carved griffin scarlet. She stared hard at it then almost dropped the wand again when the blood seeped into the wood, disappearing into the lines and leaving the surface pure white. “Holy shit…” she breathed, repeating the action and gaping when the blood, again, was absorbed. “No fucking way. This isn’t happening.” It couldn’t! Sure, wood was absorbent, but it would have left some sort of mark. It was like the thing was...drinking it.

She dropped the wand again and scooted away from it. This was insane. Was this some sort of weird dream? It had to be. How else would a random inanimate object take her blood like some sort of ritualistic anchor for a demon summoning rite? It was the most realistic dream she’d had yet if it was.

Kat sucked in a deep breath and stared the wand down, daring it to do something. If this was a dream, then...why not go with it? No. No, this was insane. She was insane! She’d lost her fucking mind! Yeah, that’s it. All the stress from the divorce, packing and moving, and her mother’s worried nagging. It wouldn’t be the first time. All the visits to the psychologists as a child when she’d snapped and barricaded herself in her bedroom. The whispered comments on her unhealthy obsession over trivial things like games or books to try and cope with it.

A rattle snapped her from the slow descent of depressing thoughts. The piece of wood had moved. It wasn’t in the same place she’d dropped it just a moment ago. And she knew she hadn’t bumped it with her foot. It moved again, this time while she was watching. It rolled a few inches until it bumped into the one book she’d left open. Her eyes widened and heart kicked into a gallop. No way. As if answering her thoughts, it attempted another move, but only rolled uselessly against the edge, spinning in place.

She hesitantly reached out, holding her fingers above the wood for a moment, then picked it up. The thing was hot now, just shy of scorching. It didn’t look any different. The heat seemed to...move? Shift about under the surface, making some areas hot before moving to another one. A low pitch keen grew in the back of her head, the tell tale sign of her mind cracking. This didn’t make any sense.

Then the wand moved in her hand. She yelped, but didn’t let go, holding tightly as it squirmed in her grip. Her injured thumb pressed into the wood, bloodying the surface even more. Blood that was sucked in just as quickly as it was covered. Kat wanted to let go, really, but she was stunned. It didn’t make any sense. Things didn’t move on their own like this. Not in real life. Was this really a dream then?

Another sharp pain in her thumb made her hiss. Shit, was it taking more blood?! It didn’t give her a chance to think on it. The wand jerked in her hand and actually pulled her forward a bit, siding over the hardwood floor. She tried to open her hand, but found she couldn’t. It was like her fingers were glued to it. No! Oh, no, what the fucking hell! Another tug from the wand had her sliding even more until she was almost falling on top of the books. She tried to fight it, digging her sock covered feet in, but it didn’t work. One last tug hand her hunched over the open book, the wand tip touching the pages.

“Oh, fuck, oh, fuck!” she gasped, chest starting to tighten as panic set it. This isn’t real. It can’t be real!

Real didn’t matter though. The wand started to vibrate and the heat grew. She tried to pull back, but something held her in place. It gave one hard shake then the damn thing lit up. No, it exploded with light. She screwed her eyes shut, turning her head away to protect her eyes. There was a sudden sickening drop in her stomach then everything pulled. It felt like her entire body was suddenly squished, compressed down, and then dragged. Pulled through some infinitely tiny space like someone trying to drink through a coffee straw.

Then it stopped. The invisible force holding her disappeared and she lurched forward onto her hands and knees and lost her lunch. Everything in her revolted. Organs complaining, nerve endings screeching, and her brain felt like a pile of hot mush. What...what had just happened?

She stayed hunched over, eyes still closed and gasping as everything lurched again. The breaths seemed to help her regain at least a bit of sanity and steadiness. Her fingers curled into the surface beneath her, panic rising up again when she felt something spongy against her skin. She opened her eyes and fell back on her ass at the sight before her. Trees, trees everywhere! Closely packed with dense undergrowth sprouting up between the trunks. The ground she sat on was bare but for a few patches of hot, slightly burn moss. Well, everything under her was hot. The edges of the small patch she sat on was all scorched, like her arrival had blasted the ferns back.

Kat raised a shaky hand to her face, slapping her cheek once, hard, and winced when it stung. Oh god. This wasn’t a dream. Pinches and slaps were supposed to wake you up if you were dreaming! Everything in her mind screamed, thoughts bouncing around like ping pong balls. The bit of panic multiplied and her chest constricted, invisible bands clamping down and making every breath almost impossible to pull in. What. The. Fuck. Was. Happening?!

Her eyes darted about, taking in all her surroundings. Okay. Okay, so she was in a forest, obviously. No where close to her apartment. Everything was not something she’d see in one of the parks nearby. Ferns were not something you saw growing natively. She bit down on her bottom lip, drawing a long, shaky breath through her nose. Calm down. She needed to calm down. Stop, think. What should she do?

She looked around her feet again and growled when she spotted that stupid wand, sitting innocently atop her book. She snatched it up, holding it up and glaring at it. “You stupid fucking thing!” she shouted, tightening her fingers. “What the fuck are you?!”

It didn’t answer, of course. It was a piece of wood. A piece of wood that managed to transport her somewhere. With...magic…? The muscles in her eye twitched when everything started to click. Holy fucking shit. Was...was that really magic? No. There was no possible way. Magic wasn’t real! Her eyes dropped to the book, somehow untouched. A wand, a book about a magical world of witches and wizards. This had to be a dream. There was no other option.

But these thoughts wouldn’t help her any. Kat pulled in another breath and shoved all the panic away, clearing her mind. She then heaved a sighed, picked up the book, and stood. It didn’t matter if it was a dream. She was in an unknown place in only a pair of shorts, a tank top, and her socks. The best option right now would be to find a person. Find out where she was. Then find a way home. She needed to be calm, logical.

Another look around showed more trees, but they seemed to thin to the west, judging by the almost fully set sun. Less trees was always good. There could be a road or town. Taking that as her best option, she started walking in that direction. Thankfully the ferns were easy to push through. As she walked, she had to admire the scenery. This place was beautiful. Everything was vibrant and green with the sounds of birds chirping and a spring trickling nearby. It did wonders to soothe her already frayed nerves.

By the time she stumbled through a thicket and into a clearing, she felt a good deal calmer. And to her luck, the clearing had a house in it. A laugh escaped her as she took it in. It was almost too hard to believe. The place was an adorable fairytale looking cottage, complete with worn cobblestone walls, smokey chimney, and wooden tilted roof. A bit worn, but charming. She shuffled closer, eyeing the well kept vegetable garden, the rickety shutters, and clutter filled windows. It seemed lived in, if the smoke was any indication. Hopefully they didn’t mind helping her.

There was a single door, the wood just as old looking as the rest of the place. Swallowing down her nerves, she reached up and knocked. A loud crash answered, making her start and jump back, clutching the book and wand to her chest. That didn’t sound good. She leaned to the side, trying to peek into the window and see if anyone needed help, the there were too many books piled up behind the glass to tell. Then the thump of heavy footsteps on wood rang out and she jerked straight.

The door flew opening and she was greeted by the sight of a bare chest. A rather scarred chest. Her eyes moved up, and up, then up a bit more until she saw the angry face of a man. While obviously mad, she couldn’t help but notice that he was handsome. Wide jawed with more scars, a short beard in of blonde, brown, and red whiskers, not matching the light brown hair atop his head. His eyes, while a bit crazed, were a dark green laced with gold, flashing dangerously.

“Uh, hello,” she squeaked and cleared her throat.

A stick was shoved in her face and she jerked back, eyes bugging out. Was that...a wand? “Who the bloody hell are you and how did you find this place?” the man growled, voice gravely and deep.

“Name's Kat,” she answered quickly, leaning back slightly. “A-and I have no clue where I even am, much less how I got here.”

“You don’t know how you got here?” he asked slowly, eyes widening. Her brows jumped up when she noticed that rolling accent to his words. Was that Welsh?

“Eh, yeah… Look, I know this sounds weird, but uhm, I think it was...magic?” She held out the wand, cringing when she realized her fingers were still bloody.

The wand in her face drooped slightly as the anger on his face turned to guarded confusion. “Magic…” he said lowly, eyes turning more gold but flicking from the wand to her face. “Where are you from?”

“Chi-Chicago,” she stuttered and swallowed heavily.

His brows jumped up then dropped back down, lips peeling back to show slightly elongated canines. It was then that it clicked. Oh my god. The scars, green and gold eyes, his teeth, light brown hair, ragged pants. Was this...was he Remus? No. Oh, no! There was no fucking way! Her breaths started coming out in pants and she took another step back.

“You’re Remus fucking Lupin,” she whispered.

That had been the wrong thing to say because the wand jerked back up and he stepped farther out, growling loudly. “How do you know that name?” he barked threateningly.

“This can’t be real. You’re not real!” she gasped.

The man growled again, moving closer and sniffing deeply. Whatever he smelled seemed to trigger something, his eyes flashing completely gold. She barely had a chance to duck and dance back when he lunged forward, hand just barely skimming the top of her head. His miss made him hiss as she turned and stumbled back.

“What the fuck are you doing, you dick?!” she yelled, glaring at him. “Fuck, if this is a dream, then it’s a shitty one!”

She didn’t receive an answer. No, just a hair raising, feral sounding snarl before he launched himself at her again. This time she couldn’t dodge it completely, his hand missing her throat and grabbing onto her shoulder. The contact made her scream, his touch burning her skin and sending a shock of electricity through her. She dropped the book and wand, both of her hands latched onto his wrist, and instinctively twisted sideways. The action sent his momentum away, throwing him to the side. His long nails, more like claws, took a good amount of skin with him, but he landed heavily on his back.

It didn’t do much to stop him. His hand flashed out and grabbed her ankle, yanking and sending her onto the ground with him. The hit knocked the air from her lungs and send a jolt of pain up her spine. Everything in her screamed. This was real! This was happening! She was being attacked by a fucking pissed werewolf!

Her captured foot lashed out, kicking him in the shoulder, making him snarl and let go. She scrambled away, snatching up her wand and book, and sprinted for the house. She had to get away, get something between them. Oh, god, why was this happening?! She slammed the door closed as soon as she crossed the threshold, frantically slapping around the edges of it to try and find a lock. But there weren’t any. The shrill noise in the back of her head grew louder with her panic, lungs struggling to pull in air as her chest tightened more. Nononono!

She barely had a chance to think. Before she could blink, the door exploded before her. The blast sent her flying backwards and she hit the floor with a cry, her shoulder screaming with pain as it took all her weight. She laid there a second, head ringing like a bell, then pushed herself backward when she heard an actual godforsaken roar. Through her wavering vision she could make out his tall form filling the doorway, looking terrifying against the dying red horizon.

He was going to kill her! Wa-what the fuck was she supposed to do?! A rattling noise came from behind her, the sound of wood skittering against wood. The wand! She flipped over and frantically looked around, gasping when she spotted it under the sofa. She squeezed under, reaching as far as she could. Just as she got her fingers around it, a hand grabbed the back of her shirt and dragged her out from under it. Shit, shit, no, nono!

Kat twisted around, dislodging the hand and ignored the tearing noise as it took half the damn thing with it. He was right above her once she managed to get onto her back, growling like a savage beast with his eyes actually _glowing_ gold in the now dark room. Every muscle in her tensed, nerves skittering and singing as terror set in fully. This wasn’t a dream. This was a fucking nightmare!

Her hand shot forward, the wand pulling it up on its own, and a streak of red light shot from the end. It didn’t hit its target. The fucker just leaned to the side slightly, allowing the light to streak right over his shoulder and hit the wall behind him with a crack. Fuck, fuck! His hand clamped down on her wrist, squeezing tight enough to make her fingers spasm and drop the wand. With her only defense out of the way, he leaned in close, pressing his nose to her cheek and breathing deeply with a growl.

She tensed more and did the first thing that came to mind. Her fist swung out and connected with his face, sending a ripple of pain up her arm. But he didn’t even react. No, just turned his head straight with her knuckles still dug into his cheek and let out a throaty, rumbling, and crazed sounding laugh. Her stomach roiled and she gagged. How the fuck was she supposed to get out of this? Then a thought occurred to her. He was a man and had to have the assets to go along with it. Maybe…

She jerked her knee up, ramming it right between his legs. His stupid wolfish laugh cut off with a wheezing groan. Taking her chance, she shoved him off, scrambled to her feet, and took off out the shattered door. Distantly, she heard a shout and roar, but ignored it. Have to get away. Fuck the book, fuck the wand. This was insane! Then something hot hit her back and everything went black.


	2. Books

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, sweet! I'm assuming kudos are good, which means you like it? Woo~ Here's another chapter then. Don't be afraid to let me know if something needs a tweak.

**I Must Be Dreaming**

**Chapter 2**

**-Books-**

 

* * *

 

 

Everything hurt. Why the hell did everything hurt? Had she gotten drunk last night? She must have for her head to feel like an elephant had tap danced on it. Kat groaned, rolled her head against the hard knobbly surface under it, and tried to lift her arm to rub her face. She froze when she realized she couldn’t. A wave of panic swept over her and she jerked both arms, finding them stuck with the rough feel of rope against her wrists. Oh, no. No, no! Her eyes flew open and found herself somewhere she didn’t recognize. It was dark. Well, kind of dark.

The room was small, from what she could make out in the fading moonlight. A fireplace to her left with a semicircle of sofas and armchairs before it and lumps covered in sheets beside the mantle, a tiny kitchen to her right, cozy little dining area with a beat up table and pair of chairs. Everything was tidy, not a piece of litter in sight, nor any nicknacks or pictures to show that it was lived in either. Spartan, really. But it still didn’t look familiar at all.

A loud, pained scream ripped through the air, making her start and scream too. What the fuck was that?! She jerked her head around, trying to find the source, but couldn’t see jack shit in the poor lighting. Okay. Calm down. Think. Assess. What kind of situation was she in? A bad one, obviously. She was tied up. A quick squint down showed another of those rickety wooden chairs under her. Correction, tied to a chair. That’s a first. But how did she get here?

Kat closed her eyes and thought. It was...a bit fuzzy but… Her eyes ripped back open when it came back. Then she laughed. Not a normal laugh. No, one of those disbelieving, unhinged, ‘no-fucking-way’ laughs. There was no way. Just, no possible way in any plain of her own miserable existence. It was like something out of a book or-or some crappy mary jane fic a teenager wrote.

Girl, or in this case woman, finds mysterious magic wand, fiddles around with it, and gets fucking teleported to god knows where. But instead of finding a few mildly suspicious but welcoming odd magical folks, she gets attacked by what she supposed was a crazed wolf man. Fuck! Obviously it was Lupin. It had to be. While the description in the book was pretty vague, who else had sandy hair, was covered in scars, and growled? Had he done that in the book? Sure, there was that scene in the last one where he absolutely lost it in Grimmauld, but he hadn’t gone all-all wolfy. Just the normal anger of a man terrified that he might have ruined his wife’s life.

Another scream broke the silence. She didn’t jump this time, but it was unnerving. It sounded like whoever was making the noise was in pain. A lot of it. But that didn’t help her situation. Lupin wasn’t here. He’d tied her up and just left her here alone. That’s good-ish. Now she just had out of these ropes. Then she could find that stupid wand and try to use it to get back home. Because as much as she wanted to hope this was a dream, it wasn’t. Dreams and nightmares didn’t hurt. You didn’t pass out and wake back up in the middle of them. That’s when the damn thing is supposed  _ end _ ! Unless it was some sort of coma? Didn’t people say they managed to live through almost an entire lifetime in coma dreams?

She shook her head, pushing the thoughts away. Regardless, she needed to get out of here. It would be suicide to just sit around and wait for Lupin to come back. So, first things first. Get out of these ropes. Now, what was the best way to do that? Her feet weren’t tied and her hands were together, so that gave her a few options. She needed to find something to cut.

Kat wiggled roughly, feeling the rickety chair shake under her. Oooh. Perfect! The thing was a piece of crap. Easy to break, maybe? With a careful tip, she managed to lean forward and get her feet on the ground. A bit more shifting, a lot of pressure on her already aching shoulders, and she had the chair on her back, hunched over and holding it up with her arms still behind it. Fuck, it hurt. The entire thing creaked loudly, the spindles rattling loosely in their holes against her back. She took a few stumbling steps forward, leaned down a bit more, then slammed her body backwards, ramming the chair into the wall. The thing broke with a loud snap and she felt pieces of wood tumbling down her back to clatter onto the floor.

She let out a triumphant laugh and shook, making sure all the pieces were free. One step down. Now for a knife. She looked around, finally able to make things out better in the now pink light. The sun was rising. She must have been passed out all night. Peachy. The best place to find something sharp would be the kitchen. Unfortunately, there was a single knife in sight. Kat frowned, looking over everything carefully. A few drawers were scattered about, most without handles. There had to be a knife in one of those.

With her back to the cracked countertop, she leaned forward, and felt blindly around with her hands and caught the corners with her fingertips. A few tugs had it opened and she turned, but sighed when the only thing inside was filled bottles. Considering how she was somehow in the magical Potter world, probably potions, judging by the odd colors and bubbles. She turned around again and opened the one just below it. Towels. The next, books. Wait, books? Who the hell kept books in the kitchen?

Three more drawers later and she hit gold. A large chef’s knife was right on top, looking sharp, much to her luck. Perfect! With another turn, she managed to grip the thing in her fingers, maneuver down, under the ropes, and then started sawing at them. The rope didn’t seem to want to break. She couldn’t feel a single thread snapping. Fuck!

The slamming of a door made her jump, the knife slipping and biting into her wrist. FUCK! Her mind spun, the forced calm shredding like paper and quickly replaced by fear. Shit, was he coming back? Oh, god, no, no. How the fuck was she supposed to do anything like this? She carefully rearranged the knife and kept frantically trying to cut through the ropes, but it was hard. Her fingers were growing slippery as the blood ran down from the slice on her wrist. Needed to at least get these off if she was going to have any chance at all.

“C’mon, c’mon, you stupid fucking rope!” she hissed, pinching her eyes closed to concentrate.

Another door slammed, this time the one across the room from her. And again, it scared the ever living shit out of her and made her lose grip of the knife. The blade managed to get one last cut in before it slipped from her hands and clattered to the floor. She jerked her head up and groaned. He was there, still a striking a menacing form as he stood in the doorway. Every instinct in her screamed. Run. She needed to run!

He didn’t give her the chance. As soon as he stepped completely into the house, the door quietly closed behind him, the faint sound of locks clicking into place. Kat swallowed as her stomach leapt up into her throat. She wanted to move, needed to move, but she couldn’t. She kept her eyes locked on him, stepping back when he moved farther in. Though he wasn’t walking straight. One of his arms was wrapped around his still shirtless chest, head bowed down, and movements stiff as he limped.

Kat backed up a few more steps as he neared, holding her breath. Then her stupid fucking foot knocked into the knife and she cringed when it skittered loudly across the floor. Shit, shit, shit! Stupid! The noise was enough. His head shot up, eyes going right to her. He looked terrible. Exhausted, bloody, obviously in pain from the grimace across his features.

They stood there for almost a minute, staring each other down, brown to green, fear to pain. Then his nostrils flared and his eyes widened before flicking down to her feet.

“You’re bleeding,” Lupin rasped. His voice matched his face. It sounded ravaged, like he’d been screaming for hours. Kat bit down a whimper that tried to fight its way out of her throat and backed away more until her back was pressed against the ancient looking fridge. Right, he was a werewolf. Shit, would that make him want to bite her or something? God, why was all the information she’d read leaving her now? Research meant nothing when she was couldn’t get her fucking brain to work!

He held up his hand, whispered something, and a wand shot into it. Kat breathed in heavily through her nose and watched the piece of wood carefully. He knew how to use the thing. There were any number of spells he could use on her. Would he use that torture spell on her? A shudder ripped through her when he sniffed then stepped even closer. Oh, shit, oh, shit!

Her thoughts came to a stop when the slowly brightening light hit his face, casting it in a heavy orange glow. He looked...sad. No, not sad. Torn, beatdown. Then she realized just why he looked the way he did. Last night must have been a full moon. Her throat constricted with a shot of guilt. Sure, she was scared. And, yes, he had attacked her. But she couldn’t help but feel bad for him.

Both of his hands came up, palms out. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he rasped again. “Let me heal you. You’re bleeding t-too much.” Again he sniffed, eyes dropping to stare at her shoulder with a pained expression, then back to her face.

Kat glanced down, blanching when she saw just how much blood there was. Oh. Oh, wow. Yeah, she was bleeding a  _ lot _ . The sight made her feel woozy, head spinning, and her balance disappeared. She made sure to lean back as her knees gave out, pinching her eyes closed as she slid to the ground. The man cursed quietly and she heard him drop down before her.

Hot hands carefully took her shoulders, pulling her forward to lean just slightly against his shoulder. The rest of him was just as hot, like he had a fever, and he smelled...weird. Not bad. Just weird. A little voice in her head was screaming that this was a bad idea. She didn’t know him, even if she’d read all the fucking books. A complete stranger, one that was a goddamn werewolf, that had already attacked her, knocked her out, and tied her to a fucking chair!

She smothered the voice and slumped against his completely. She was too tired to fight it. And for some reason, the heat he gave off relaxed her. Shit, did blood loss really make people this loopy? She could feel his arms move, something pressed to her wrists, and her skin tingled. Like someone had blown a icy breeze over it. The stinging went away instantly, but she still couldn’t really sit up.

“Can you move?” Kat stiffened when he spoke. Being this close, having his head right next to hers, the deep, torn voice rumbled right through her, making goosebumps instantly pop up everywhere. It made her head swim like she’d chugged a fifth on an empty stomach. Oh, wow. Holy shit.

Not trusting her voice, she just shook her head. Even with the cuts healed, her legs still felt like cooked noodles. Lupin breathed deeply before leaning down and pulling her over his shoulder. The surprise gave her a burst of energy and she squealed. “What the fuck!” she cried out, hissing in pain when her nose knocked painfully against his shoulder blade as he stood.

The man actually had the gall to snort, making her squeal with outrage this time, and wriggled against the arms holding her down. He grunted in pain when her knee managed to knock into his chest. “Stop it!” Kat froze at the growl, tensing up completely when he started walking.

Everything bounced and swayed once he started moving, and all she could see was the tan skin of his back, crisscrossed with a few freshly healed cuts and old scars. She tried hard not to think about how goddamn warm he was, but when almost every inch of her was pressed down over him like she was a sack of flour, it was hard not to. She felt like an idiot. Here she was, stuck in some insane situation with a fucking  _ werewolf _ basically kidnapping her, and all she could think about was how she wanted to melt like a sleepy kitten.

After a good bit of jarring shaking from what she thought to be stairs, she heard a door open and was unceremoniously tossed down onto a springy surface. Kat groaned when she landed on her back, her already throbbing shoulders flaring up with pain again, and turned to her side to relieve the pressure. At least he put her on a bed, but why did he have to leave her tied up still? She glared up at him, any thoughts of how he felt like a big, warm teddy bear disappearing at the piercing look he gave her.

Gathering up her courage, she narrowed her eyes at him and spoke, “So, are you just going to keep me here?"

“For now,” Lupin replied, face going blank.

Her eyes drifted down to the barely sealed wounds on him then back to his face. “I guess it  _ is _ a bit hard to interrogate someone after a full moon.”

While she intended for it to sound more sympathetic, it most definitely did _not_ come out that way. Oh, what was with her and her big fucking mouth? His entire body tensed, jaw clenching and eyes narrowing into a dangerous glare. “I reckon.” She shivered at the icy tone and shrank away. “You’ll stay in here. Don’t even bother trying to get out. It  _ will _ be warded.”

Before she could retort, he waved his wand and wordlessly vanished the ropes from her wrists, then turned and left. Kat didn’t even bother to try and get up. She was sure whatever magic crap he threatened her with was already up. He’d already been through the first war, right? And a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. He probably knew more spells than most people.

Instead, she pulled her arms back before her, cringing at the ache and pull on the cramped muscles, and massaged her raw wrists. In the soft sunlight, she could see the faint pink lines of where she’d cut herself, cleanly healed from what she could tell under the dried blood and ink of her tattoos. Interesting. She wondered how it worked. Was it a way to speed up the already existing systems in the human body? Or maybe some weird way of taking the very energy from himself or the air and making it into the exact matter required to heal it.

Kat huffed and rolled her eyes. This was not the time to be thinking about this stuff. Then again, there wasn’t much else she could do. She was trapped and at his mercy. Maybe she should rest. Her entire body felt heavy, mind fuzzy, and completely exhausted. Apparently being knocked unconscious didn’t count as sleeping. So she let her eyes drift close and fell asleep.

 

* * *

 

A loud pop was not a nice way to wake up. Kat gasped and jerked, eyes flying open to frantically look around. Then slumped down once she realized nothing was happening. There was no one there, no explosions, no weird magic stuff. Though there was now a glass of water and small plate of bread on the small table beside the bed. Huh. Did Lupin magic it up here? She sat up, closing her eyes when the room spun wildly around. Ugh, still weak.

Kat groaned and worked her tongue around her mouth, cringing at how dry and sticky it was. Without thinking, she grabbed the water and started chugging it, but froze. Shit, what if he put something in this? Some sort of poison or potion? Eh, nah. That would be stupid, especially if he wanted to question her. As soon as the glass was empty, it filled again on its own. She held it up and gaped at it. Holy shit. Magic was too amazing.

Once she had eaten her bland meal, she scooted to the end of the bed and really looked around. The room wasn’t as small as she’d thought. It just seemed so with the sheer amount of books stacked everywhere. The two shelves that were squeezed in were pack jammed full of them, with more stacked neatly around, and a small wardrobe stuffed between them. There seemed to be an order to it all even though it looked rather chaotic. Other than the books, there was a small desk shoved under the window, bare but for a feather, some sort of bottle, and a piece of paper on it. The light coming in the window was already turning a deep orange, making the little set up look rather nice. Her fingers itched for a pencil.

Wait, orange? She scooted down to the very bottom of the bed, leaning over to peer out the window. Shit, the sun was setting again already? How long had she been asleep?! She cursed to herself and flopped back onto the bed, glaring up at the bare wooden rafters above. Had Lupin been up here? Hm, probably not. He must take a good bit of time to recover. If she remembered correctly, he was usually out for a day or so after the full moon when he was teaching and that was with the Wolfsbane potion to make everything a bit easier.

So she was obviously going to have to bide her time. Her eyes drifted over to the books again, idly reading each title, and pursed her lips. Hm, that would be a good way. If this was a dream, let’s see what kind of things her mind could come up with. She sat up, careful to balance herself when another wave of vertigo hit her, and snatched up the first book she could find off the ground. The title,  _ Magical Studies _ , was written in faded gold paint, most rubbed and chipped off from overuse.

She leaned back against the wall and flipped it open, taking a moment to just appreciate the art of it all. Yeah, kinda silly to say, but it’s a thing. It’s something she felt had been lost over the years and this one showed it. The paper was amazing quality, the fonts beautiful and almost looked handwritten, and, wow, the illustrations. They don’t them like this anymore. Just mass printed paperback crap with cheap photoshopped images on the front that would take five minutes to make. All with the same font, the same cheap paper, and they always fell apart after a year if you read it more than once or twice.

There was just something more satisfying to hold a good, sturdy hardback book where someone put an effort into it. Not to mention that the subject matter was something she’d never thought to end up reading. Wand movements and how they are used to channel magic in certain ways, the involvement in thought and will power, how incantations were important but could be cast aside once your body and ‘magic’ had learned was was essentially magical muscle memory to do nonvocal castings.

By the time she’d managed to get through half the book, the sun was gone and she’d moved to the very end of the bed to hunch over and read by the still bright moonlight. Each chapter brought new questions. How the fuck did magic even work? Was it produced from some sort of  gland or ‘well’ in the human body? Or something that just branched through out like a secondary nervous system? How the hell did it get out? Why did it have such catastrophic results if suppressed? The more she read, the more she wanted to learn. It was just so interesting.

Though not interesting enough to stop her body from trying to heal itself. The next thing she knew, Kat was snorting and blinking into the sunlight, her back and neck aching fiercely from having fallen asleep against the wall with the finished book in her lap. She blearily squinted around, finding nothing had changed. Still in the same room, alone with her self refilling glass and a literal ton of books.

She slipped off the bed, pleased when the room didn’t spin, and carefully set the book back on the stack she’d taken it from. While she might not like the guy very much, she wouldn’t dare mess up whatever system he had for his books. Then it hit her. Oh, no. She needed to pee. Bad. Another quick look around showed no other doors, no connecting bath. Shit. How the hell was she supposed to take a piss?

Kat sighed and turned to the door, frowning at it. The bathroom must be out there. She stepped up to the old hunk of wood and looked it over. It didn’t  _ seem _ like it had magic on it. No shimmer or colored light. Then again, she knew jackshit about the stuff so there could be some invisible shield that would shock her if she touched it. But she  _ really _ need to pee. Ah, fuck it. Thankfully she didn’t get electrocuted when she grabbed the knob, but it didn’t budge when she turned and pulled. Right, locked.

Then she needed to be let out. That left only one option. She had to get Lupin to let her out. Kat pulled a face, thinking it over, and again, thought, fuck it. The door rattled when she pounded on it.

“Wolf man! I need you!” she shouted. Okay, so that was probably a stupid thing to say, but she couldn’t help it. She was still miffed with him.

When she got no answer and didn’t hear any noise to show him stirring in another part of the house, she repeated it, raising her voice more. Nothing. After another three tries, she finally heard the sound of footsteps and creaking wood. She jumped back when the door rattled from the other side then opened to reveal said wolf man, fully dressed for once with his wand in hand, pointed at her.

They had a good stare for a minute. Long enough for her to feel a twinge of self consciousness when she realized the state of herself. Dirty with a ripped tank top and no bra, muddy canvas shorts and socks, probably still covered in dried blood, and her hair must be an absolute nightmare. And there he was, dressed like a painfully proper fancy man with a worn looking button up shirt and khaki pants, beard trimmed up and hair wet and combed. He looked healthier, no longer beaten and pale like a cancer patient. Still a bit angry too.

The silence must have been too long because he lifted a brow. “What do you want?” he asked. Oh, his voice was still nice. Less gravely, but still deep with that accent. Hm.

Kat blinked. “I need to use your restroom.” Those brows dropped and he looked at her like she was nuts. She resisted the urge to slap her forehead. Fucking British english shit. “Eh, I need to use the - what do you call it - uh, lav? The loo? Toilet? Whatever you Brits call the place you take a piss!” she snapped, feeling her face grow hot. Way to embarrass herself.

Lupin didn’t answer right away, just stared hard at her face before letting his eyes drop over the rest of her. Whatever blush she had multiplied and she stuffed down the urge to squirm. Why the hell was he looking at her like that? Finally, he returned those oddly bright green eyes to hers again and gave her a stiff nod.

“Fine.” He stepped back and gestured to the left with his wand. With a grumpy glare, she stepped out. The small little landing a surprising amount of doors. The one she’d came out of, one closed, and another open with faint streams of steam drifting from the top of the frame. Ah, that must be it. She hurried in and closed the door as fast as she could, taking a bit of glee at Lupin’s grunt of surprise from the other side. Jerk.

The sight of her that greeted her made her groan. She stepped up to the cracked mirror above the sink, grimacing at her dirty appearance. She looked like she’d taken a tumble down the side of a mountain. But natured called. She quickly went about her business, pleased to find that he did have some normal things about, like toilet paper.

With that done, she started working on at least some of the filth. While the shower had obviously been used, judging by the steam still in the air, she didn’t really want to use it. It just felt...wrong. So she settled with the sink, scrubbing her arms and face as best she could. It was a relief to watch the red and brown stain the water and circle down the drain. Then she tried to tame her bird’s nest hair, picking out a few twigs as she finger combed it the best she could. It helped a little, but she still felt a mess.

A thump on the door started her from her inspection. Right. Lupin was still out there. With a huff, she gave up on herself and opened the door. He was there all right, looking a good deal grumpier than earlier. Though his eyes did widen slightly, flicking over her again. She crossed her arms and gave him a scowl.

“What?” she snipped.

Lupin’s nose twitched, making the largest scar that cut across it wrinkle, and his eyes drifted before he spoke, “It’s time you explained. Come.”

To her surprise, he pocket his wand and turned, starting down the stairs. Kat blinked after his retreating back. What the hell? Did he not think her a threat now? No need for a wand? Ugh, whatever. She stumped down after him and sat in an armchair when he gestured. Her eyes immediately went to ‘her’ wand where it sat on the low coffee table. So he’d found it. It looked innocent enough, still the same pale grey, almost white. But it didn’t react to her presence. Stupid thing.

She looked back up and watched as Lupin paced with his hands shoved into his pockets and a deep, thoughtful looking frown pulling his mouth. She couldn’t help but focus on his face, taking in the scars. Wow, there really were a lot of them. He stopped and turned suddenly, pinning her with that piercing look. It made her mouth dry up.

“Who are you?”

A burst of aggravation made her glare back at him. “I already told you. Or were you too busy trying to kill me to remember?”

He flushed at her words, contrite pulling at his face. “I...don’t remember much of that night,” he said hesitantly, clearing his throat when his voice got rough.

Huh. Well, it had been right before he had to transform. Maybe going all furry did things to his head. Kat sighed, feeling a bit of her annoyance pull back. “Not that I know much about your whole ‘furry little problem’-” She gestured at him, quirking a brow when his head jerked at her. “-but I guess I should properly introduce myself. My name is Katherine Kenn - ah, fuck - Jones! Katherine Jones.”

He didn’t say anything back, just kept on staring at her like she was some sort of prey. Which was an apt description considering what he was. But she didn’t like it. Her aggravation crept back up.

After another long pause, he continued his questions. “Where are you from?”

“Again, Chicago.” When he looked confused, she rolled her eyes. “For fuck’s sake. America. Better?”

Her snappy answer made him frown. “How did you get here?”

“Not really sure. To be perfectly honest, I have no idea what’s really going on right now. I thought I was dreaming, but I’m finding it hard to believe that’s a possibility anymore.”

“And you know who I am?”

“I think so. Remus Lupin, yeah? Unless I somehow found another random werewolf in the woods by accident.”

Kat jumped slightly when he growled and stepped close to loom over her. “How do you know that? I don’t know you, have never heard of you, and you shouldn’t have even been able to get close to this place, much less Apparate in.”

“How do I know you? Cause you’re a made up character, you dick!” she snapped back at him, sitting up straight and tilting her head back to scowl up at him. “God, I thought you were supposed to be the nice one out of the bunch. Some smarty pants professor you are!”

That made him back off. Those weird green eyes were wide in an almost comical amount of surprise, mouth opening and closing while he tried to work out a word. It only lasted a second before he returned to a furious glare and his wand was back out, pointing at her. “What else do you know?”

“What else?” She laughed and gave the offending wood and flick. “A lot, mister. But I’m not telling you anything until you tell me a few things. Like, oh, I don’t know, the date maybe?”

Again, he looked confused. Jeeze, the guy jumped through emotions like crazy. “It’s July fifth.”

“Year?”

His face screwed up more. “1993.”

It was her turn to be surprised. Well. That was...interesting. Though it made sense when she thought about it. If the wand had pulled some sort of stupid multidimensional magic trick and based it all off the damn book, this would be about the right spot. Maybe a bit early since this was between the second and third book, technically. Fuck, this was absolutely insane!

Kat sat back with a sigh and rubbed a hand over her forehead, turning to her thoughts. The biggest question outside of how, was why? Why the fuck was any of this happening? This crazy scifi crap was not something she could even dream up. But it was happening. Not much she could do about it now.

Oh, shit. What if that meant she was messing with whatever sort of timeline? Even if this was some weird fever dream or coma world, it could really fuck things up. Or...wait. Not fuck up, but maybe fix it?

The possibilities rushed into her head, making it spin. Could she stop Voldemort from even coming back fully? This was one of the major turning points. Where Sirius escapes, his innocence revealed, Pettigrew found and escapes to scurry off to his weird snakey master and help bring him back. The little rat and that other guy...uh, Crouch? Yeah, Crouch Jr. They were the ones that set up everything in the fourth book to revive him completely.

“Katherine!” Kat jumped, ripped from her thoughts by a sharp bark of her name. She looked up, grimacing against her whirling head to stare up at a slightly worried Lupin.

“What?” she asked quietly, moving her hand to press it to her chest. Shit, her heart was going a mile a minute.

“How do you know me?”

“From the books,” she answered absently, pulling her eyes away to looking at the wand that had started all this crap.

“Books?”

“Yeah. You’re a character in a book.”


	3. Improbable Introductions

Fate was an odd thing.

Life had so many sudden twists and turns. One minute you could be going about your daily tasks the best you could, glad for a semblance of routine and normalcy, and then it would change in a blink. Everything would be thrown off kilter, as if someone had spun your small world on its axis then suddenly stopped it, watching as everything scattered and tumbled over.

Fate loved to do that.  If you believed in it, that is.

Remus Lupin hadn’t put any stock in those things when he was younger. It was unnerving to think that every single thing in his life had been planned out ahead of time. That some unknown deity was set on torturing him so thoroughly. One more thing that he would never be able to control. But the world had slowly forced him to accept fate. It dragged him into the depths of its influence kicking and screaming. It only took one reading of fate, one prophecy, for him to lose everything, after all. And now he could tell when things were starting to spin again. It was a hard feeling to forget.

The woman, this Katherine, cringing in the armchair before him had spun his world like a bloody top. “A book?” was all he could manage in reply.

“Eh, yeah… You are Remus John Lupin.” She paused and swallowed heavily. “Born to Hope and Lyall Lupin on March tenth, 1960. Later bitten by Fenrir Greyback just before your fifth birthday. Retaliation for your dad’s anti werewolf views. You ended up having a shit childhood from it. Parents always stressed, moving constantly, never allowed outside.” Light brown eyes lifted to meet his, the heartbreak in them making the already chaotic whirlwind of emotions in him seem to condense into one tight, heavy lump in his throat.

“When you turned eleven, Dumbledore came here personally and invited you to Hogwarts. Set up the Whomping Willow and Shrieking Shack just for your use. The only reason you were allowed to go. The hat sorted your into Gryffindor and you became friends with your dorm mates. The bigger than life James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew.” Then the lump migrated to his stomach and set everything to boil as rage crept back up.

“Friends that were so loyal that when they figured out your ‘furry little problem’ in second year, they spent the next three become animagi to help you.” Another pause before her eyes shifted back to the coffee table, burning into the wand he’d stuck there. Remus tried desperately to focus on anything but her, but the longer she spoke, the more his control slipped.

“It didn’t stop you from becoming Prefect, though. Top grades, very responsible unless your friends got involved, kind, and helpful. I’m sure you aced every single N.E.W.T. Not that it helped you any.” The woman shifted restlessly. “You joined the Order right after you graduated. I’m not sure what exactly happened during the war. Horrible things, I’m sure, but it didn’t stop you. You were away on a mission when... _ it _ happened. Wh-when Lily and James were murdered. When Harry was scarred. When Sirius went after Peter and…”

Even with her tone dropping lower and lower with each word, his cursed hearing picked up each one. Like a guitar string, his control snapped.  _ He _ snapped. Remus lunged forward with a snarl, hauling his prisoner up by two handfuls of shirt.

“How do you know all of that?!” he roared, arms shaking hard enough to rattle the woman around like a ragdoll.

“The books!” she cried out. “The fucking books!”

Books, books, bloody sodding books! He let her go, uncaring when she thumped to the ground with a whimper. This was mad. Absolutely mad. This stranger had managed to get through his wards without triggering a single alarm, looking as if she’d rolled about in the forest before hand, and no where near dressed for any kind of outing. Now she was babbling about books telling his life fucking story?

Remus sucked in a deep breath to try and calm himself, but it did little to help. The sound of fabric scuffing over the floor ripped his gaze back down and his wand was out before he could think. The stunner hit the ground inches from Katherine, halting her unsteady crawl to reach under the sofa. It was enough to pull a yelp from her and she jerked back. His instincts were screaming that whatever she was reaching for was important.

He crouched down slowly, keeping his wand and eyes trained on her, and reached under the old beaten furniture. Nothing. He reached further, patting around, only pausing to growl lowly when the chit moved again. When his fingers touched something, he snatched it up and backed away, wand still held out.

His eyes darted between the object and this woman, not foolish enough to give her another chance. It was a book. Small, rather well used, and completely common to see. Until his eyes skimmed over the title.  _ Harry Potter _ . A name that brought all the painful memories bubbling up again. His blood felt like ice in his veins as he took in the cover.

That simple, cartoonishly drawn figure look almost dead-on his... late best mate. Except for those eyes. They were just like -

“No! You can’t!” His wand moved without thought once more. Ropes whipped from the end of his wand in a silent  _ incarcerous _ spell and wrapped around the small woman, catching her mid-leap. She toppled over the arm of the sofa with an enraged screech. Remus turned and glared down at her. She didn’t stop when many others would have cowered. “Don’t!” She yelled, flashing panicked eyes up at him as she struggled. “You can’t read it, Lupin!”

“What is this?” he demanded and held the book up. “Why does it have Harry’s name on it?”

“Because you’re not fucking real; not where I’m from,” the woman - no - Katherine, gasped. Her eyes pinched closed and she took a shallow, wavering breath. “C-can’t breath-”

Remus cursed under his breath when he realized the ropes were slowly tightening. The waves of rage made his spells lack their usual control. A flick of his wand had them loosening just a tad. Enough to be very uncomfortable, but still allowing her to breath. There was a faint flicker of regret when she opened her eyes, teary and dazed, but he shoved it away. Anger riled the wolf.

“You keep saying that this isn’t real. Explain,” he hissed. “Now!”

“Fuck, okay!” she cried out. “I-in my eh, shit! I don’t know, world, dimension? FUCK, wherever I’m from, you and Harry and all your fucking friends are fiction characters in a book series! From the start of his first year at Hogwarts all the way to the end of-of… Fuck! I can’t tell you!”

Few times had Remus ever been stunned. This moment had now taken the top of the list. Worlds? Dimensions? Characters? His rage drained away, leaving him with disbelief. He was a character in a book? He stumbled back and sat heavily on the coffee table when the realization made his head swim.

Remus held the book in both hands, not quite sure what to do with it. The drawing drew his eyes again. A boy and girl clinging to the back of a hippogryph, flying around battlements of some sort. So much like James. Painfully so.  _ The Prisoner of Azkaban _ . A muggle book talking about a magical prison? Why-

“Y-you can’t read it.” Katherine’s voice was raspy and warbly beside him.

His fingers tightened around the edges hard enough to make his knuckles crack. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t?”

“It hasn’t happened yet.” His head snapped to the side and he stared incredulously, though he felt a twinge of guilt when she flinched away. “I-I don’t know if any of this is even real!” she said quickly, turning her head away to stare at the wooden beams above. “Just because you exist doesn’t mean I somehow was, I don’t know, teleported into the damn books or something!”

The situation just kept growing more and more convoluted. Whatever was in this book hadn’t happened yet? It didn’t make sense. Lies or the delusions of a mad woman. “How am I supposed to know you’re telling the truth?”

“Oh, so me popping up here when you claim no one should be able to, having no clue how I got here and carrying that book isn’t enough?” she spat, starting to struggle against her bonds. “Can’t you just use uh - what is it called? Veritaserum? Or-or Legilimency! I’ll prove I’m not lying!”

A cracked, dry laugh escaped his lips. “Neither are an option,” he muttered and studied the book again. Azkaban…

“Fine! I-I’ll tell you something that should have already happened. Has there been any news about the attacks in Hogwarts?”

Remus swallowed hard. Of course there was. Dumbledore being forced from his Headmaster position had been splashed all over the  _ Prophet _ last month. The last copy he managed to read a few weeks later had shown the culprit behind the attacks caught and the old wizard returned. But that did nothing to back up her insane story.

“It was headlined for months,” he said flatly.

The woman hummed then snorted. “And I’m sure they left out the part about it being a basilisk from the Chamber of Secrets. Or the fact that Voldemort was involved.”

“He’s DEAD!” The yell ripped from him before he could stop himself. Dead, but only after-after-

“Sorry to tell you, wolf man,” she half sang,” But he’s not! And he’s got his sights set on Harry.”

Panic paralyzed him. It couldn’t be true. No. No, their deaths weren’t for nothing! Lives ruined, snuffed out in their prime. So young and happy, determined and courageous. Betrayed and destroyed from the inside. By him. It was a lie. Of course it was a lie. It had to be.

“Has he escaped yet?” The soft question had him looking at her again. The light brown of her eyes seemed to swim in the dim morning light. The confusion must have shown, as she continued. “Is Sirius still in Azkaban, Lupin?”

“Wha-” Then it clicked. The title of the book. “What do you know?” he rasped.

“More than you can imagine,” Katherine said and let out a crazed, bark of a laugh.

The same burning fury from before rushed up, filling his chest and hazing his mind. He pulled her upright with a handful of rope and leaned close. “What do you know?!” His voice was a snarled roar as he gave her a shake.

“I can’t tell you!” The look of determination on her face twisted into something else. It only fanned his anger. “But you might want to keep an eye on the  _ Prophet _ .”

“This has to do with your bloody book then, eh? What if I just read it?” he hissed.

“I thought you were smart, Lupin.” She spat the words at him. “Even if I’m lying, do you really want to read something that tells you what will happen? Don’t you remember the last time there was something that foretold the future. How about that prophecy that got James killed!”

“SHUT UP!”

Grief and rage. Flashes of happy hazel eyes behind thick glasses. First glinting with mischievous intent. The next, dim and empty under cracked lenses. Smooth wood sprinkled with dirt. Dirt under his nails as he placed a single flower down. The crushing, overwhelming feeling of being alone. Completely alone.

Remus blinked. One blink was all it took and suddenly he could think again. He realized he was holding Katherine at wand point. The tip wavered about as his arm shook. Everything was blurred. Another blink and he realized he was crying. Hot tears burned in his eyes.

Fuck, he needed to calm down. Deep breath in then slowly out. Circe’s tits! 

“What else do you know?” he asked quietly, voice breaking slightly. “If you truly aren’t lying, you’ll be able to tell me something no one else would know.”

Those bloody big, brown eyes narrowed. “Oh, so my knowing about the Marauders being Animagus isn’t enough?”

He shook his head. “More details.”

“Right.” She heaved out a growled sigh. “You feel guilty. That your friends went and learned something so dangerous to help you. That you kept it a secret from Dumbledore.” She looked up and met his eyes. For a moment, he felt the turmoil settle. “Every time you had a close call with someone dumb enough to wander outside during a full moon, it made you feel like the monster the world said you were. A monster that broke the trust of the first man to give him a chance at a real life, just to have a run around with his friends.”

Remus let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. Fuck.  _ How did she know that _ ? It didn’t make any sense! He’d never told anyone that. Not even Si - that  _ traitor _ . It was true. Every single word of it. He’d agonized over it through the last years of Hogwarts. Taking the moment when he was alone to try and excuse the risks they all took on those nights. It always came down to one thing. Betraying that trust.

He let his wand arm drop and rubbed roughly at his face. “ _ Fuck _ ,” he hissed.

“Do you believe me now?”

“I-I don’t know.” He dragged his hand up and through his hair before turning fully towards her. “What you’re saying is far fetched. It sounds like the ramblings of someone truly mad. But-” At his pause, her eyes brightened and her brows started to rise. “It has a ring of truth to it and-”

“Oh, thank god!”

“That doesn’t mean I trust you.” he finished, surprised to find amusement when Katherine wilted.

“What, do you think I’m a Death Eater, or something?” she exclaimed. “You saw my arms! I don’t have a stupid-”

“I know you’re not a Death Eater!” he snapped, then sighed in exasperation. No, she was the opposite of that. With such an expressive face and emotional voice, she wouldn’t have lasted an hour near them.

Something about her words earlier had finally eased the tightness in his chest. It was odd to hear a stranger tell him one of his most deeply kept fears. There had been understanding and, dare he imagine, compassion in her voice. She  _ knew _ him. But he didn’t know her.

“I need to think this over.”

Katherine leaned back, studied him for a moment, then nodded. “Understandable,” she replied softly and gave him a crooked smile. He blinked in surprise. “I’m not stupid, Lupin. Any normal person would need some time to process all of this.” She strained against the ropes for a moment. “Think you could loosen these a bit more while you do that?”

There it was again. That odd niggling at the back of his head. Fate was dipping its fingers into his life. Dangling options before him like it was his choice. But this time, he felt he could actually go down whatever path he wanted. Should he trust this stranger? The low rumbling of the wolf in his mind gave him his answer.

Going with his instincts, he wordlessly vanished the ropes. His prisoner looked down at herself then back at him, suspicion and confusion twisting her face. “Should I even ask?” she asked hesitantly and leaned back into the sofa cushions.

“You’re not a threat,” he answered and gestured to where her wand lay, still stuck to the coffee table with his strongest sticking spell. “Your wand isn’t an option.”

She snorted. “Doesn’t matter. I can’t use it anyhow,” she muttered, rubbing at her arms. A pang of guilt flickered in him when he realized the vibrant red marks were left there from the ropes.

Mouth open to reply, he stopped. Wait. Can’t use it? He very specifically remembered her using it at least once to try and stun him. Frowning, he said, “But you did.”

Never before had he seen someone look at a  _ wand _ with such revulsion. “Any  _ magic _ done was all on its own. We don’t have magic where I’m from. Or, at least, I don’t know about it since I’m a muggle and all.”

“Muggle?!” She wasn’t a witch? “Wands can’t cast spells on their own. They’re just-”

“Conduits used to channel the innate ability already inside you. Yeah, yeah. So I’ve read. But I’m telling you, I can’t do magic. Never got a fancy letter from some magical school, never had any odd, accidental magic when I was a kid. Nothing, nada, zilch.”

“That can’t be possible,” he said, absently scratching at his bearded chin.    
It really wasn’t. A wand was just a focus. Yes, ‘the wand chooses the wizard’, but they weren’t sentient. There were a number of studies on it and they had all disproven that.

“A lot of the impossible has been happening to me, buddy. The fact that I’m even here and not dreaming showed that.”

Remus dropped down into an armchair and groaned as he rubbed his face. “I wish this _were_ a dream. Then perhaps I could just wake up,” he muttered before letting his hands fall.

It was odd. He’d never thought he’d be in a situation like this again. Much less being the interrogator instead of the one holding the information. It was times like this that he wished he could learn Legimancy. Unfortunately, it was far from his reach. Another side effect of lycanthropy. But he needed more information. He needed to know  _ her _ . Perhaps it would be best to just ask. She seemed open to it.

“Tell me about where you’re from.”

Katherine shifted in her spot. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

“You want me to believe you, yes?”

“Well, yeah, but-”

“Then tell me.”

She huffed and crossed her arms. “Fine! Well…” There was a pause as her face screwed up in thought. “The day that all this shit happened was July third...” Another pause and her eyes met his. “2018.”

His brows jumped up at that. “But that’s-”

“Twenty five years in the future? Yeah. Crazy, I know.” Her eyes went back down, staring at her fidgeting hands. “I should be five right about now. If I exist here, that is. Do you know much about muggle technology?”

With a shake of his head, she gave a small smile before starting to describe - bloody hell - the  _ future _ to him. He leaned back, trying to take in all the information, but it was difficult. Katherine Jones was different. He’d never taken the chance to really look at her, what with all the insanity happening, and now that he could, he almost regretted it. Even with the grime and ripped clothes, he could already see she was...distractingly _different_.

The woman was small. So short that her feet didn’t even touch the ground as she sat on the sofa. Most people tended to look frail when they lacked height, but she was far from that. She was curved generously. Wide hips, full bust, and a soft swell to her stomach. Matched up with an equally soft face, light brown eyes that seemed much too large, and a small mouth, the bottom lip noticeably larger than the top one. It was all framed with what he could only call riotous hair. Dark, almost black, loose curls cut to her jawline that fluffed out in a nimbus of frizz.

The clearing of a throat jerked him from his inspection. He felt his face grow warm when he looked up and found her staring right back. There was caution and hesitance in her eyes, though he could have sworn he saw the slightest glint of amusement.

“Did you hear anything I just said?” she asked, lips pulled into a line.

“I- eh…” Remus started to speak but snapped his mouth close. He had, slightly. Something about tellys, space, and melting ice? Ignoring the scoff from his...guest, he stood. “I’m not sure what to do with this situation,” he admitted, swallowing down the encroaching anxiety.

“I would like to think that me getting back home would be the first priority.”

Right. He breathed in deeply through his nose to try, yet again, to gain some control over himself. It helped for a second before the wolf surged up again, fighting against him. Bloody hell, what was wrong with him? Biting down a growl, he jumped to his feet and started to pace. Moving helped. With each step, he slowly forced his mind to a more comprehensible state.

What would be the best way to approach this? Here was a woman that claimed to know the future. A future that involved Voldemort. Involved...Sirius. His steps faltered and stopped when he realized exactly what he had. Merlin’s tatty knickers! He needed to-to do something! Get as much information from her as he could. But first things first.

“I need a plan,” he muttered, rapidly turning over the possibilities. “I’ll have to research. Perhaps reach out to a few old contacts, but-”

“Excuse me, wolfman!”

Remus looked up to find her scowling at him. “What?”

“Contacts?” she asked, chin jutting forward. “You can’t tell anyone about me, Lupin.”

His brows jumped up. “And why is that?”

“Jesus. I feel like a broken record. I thought you were the smart one. Think! What would happen if anyone  _ unsavory _ found out that I know the future?”

Bugger. She was right. With a sigh, he shoved at his fringe. “Of course, of course. I-” His eyes drifted to the clock on the mantel and he cursed. He was going to be late. He couldn’t afford to miss another day with this job and he needed to keep it. But what could he do with Katherine?

Best to just go with simple.

He turned without a word, pulled his wand, and began to cast. It had been so long since he’d used these wards. Strong enough to stand up against any wandless magic, physical blows, and detection charms layered between each spell. If she or anyone else touched these, he would know exactly where, the moment it happened.

“You’re free to roam the house,” Remus said once he finished and turned back. “But you can’t leave. You can sleep in the same room as before.”

“Oh, not afraid I’ll kill you now?” she scoffed and crossed her arms, looking much like a pouting child. Or perhaps that was the lack of height.

“I never was.” Her eyes flashed. Ah, she didn’t like that. “I have to leave and I’m not sure when I’ll be back. I’m not about to keep you locked up the entire time.”

“Where are you going?”

“That’s none of your business.”

Her nose tipped up into the air. “Fine. I’ll stay put. Not like I have anywhere else to go even if I could leave.”

Remus sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that morning alone. “Merlin, this is mad,” he growled. “There’s food in the larder and fridge. Don’t burn the place down.”

“Gotcha, wolfman. No setting fires in the house I can’t leave,” she said back smartly as she leaned back and just managed to prop her feet up on the coffee table.

Ignoring every protesting whisper in his head, he left the house. This was not going to end well. He could just feel it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm surprised and pleased that you all like what I have going so far! Now, originally I wasn't going to do a Remus PoV for another few chapters, but I felt like this would be a good chapter to start. Had to re-write the entire thing though. I hope that it's still good.
> 
> It also gave me an idea! I have quite a few doubles of chapters like this; one written from each PoV. If you'd like, I can post another separate story and put them there. It won't be something that happens anytime soon, but please let me know if anyone really wants to read those as well.


	4. Idle Hands

Two days. The stupid fucking man still wasn’t back and it had been two days. What in the world could he be doing that required him to be gone for that long? Was it something related to her? Did he get a well paying job for once? Did he have friends he was just visiting?

Kat groaned in frustration and closed the book in her hands. It was pointless. She couldn’t concentrate on the words. The long, quiet hours stuck alone was starting to get to her. A girl could only take so much.

The first day hadn’t been too bad. She’d slept through most of it, only waking to eat, heed the call of nature, and read and re-read through the book that was causing her so many problems. She had to be prepared, after all. It was impossible to say what might happen from this point and she wanted to make sure she knew _everything_ that would happen. Though the mountain of possibilities sent her mind spinning into another fit of ‘what-ifs’.

Should she try to change the way things went? 

If she told Remus about Pettigrew and the rat was caught, then would it stop Voldemort from coming back? No. No, Crouch Jr would still help. Pettigrew was disposable, for the most part. It wouldn’t be hard to find someone willing to lop a hand off for him. And there was no guarantee that it would clear Sirius’ name. There was also all the little things that would change. If it was too early, they wouldn’t send the dementors to Hogwarts. The Harry wouldn’t need to learn the Patronus spell. Something he would use so much later on. Shit, there were too many possibilities!

So she ended up spending the rest of the day doing nothing but making lists of pros and cons; once she managed to get the hang of the old quill left sitting out, that is. She systematically worked through her knowledge, making a rough timeline, major events, deaths, and more. As the sun started going down, she had the worst headache and still no idea how to approach it. So she hid the papers away as best she could and forced herself to sleep.

By time the next morning rolled around, she couldn’t handle herself anymore. She was disgusting! Finally giving in, she poked around until she found the linen closet, stole up a towel, and spent an hour in the bathroom vigorously cleaning every inch of herself, detangling her riotous knot of hair, and taking care of any wounds. She had a few scrapes, a few small cuts, and an oddly shaped pink scar on her shoulder.

The last really caught her attention. How had she not noticed that before? She didn’t remember getting hurt there. It was almost shaped like a handprint with vague outlines of long blunt fingers and what looked like a palm. It covered almost her entire left shoulder, reaching from her back to the the base of her clavicle. Was that from a spell? It didn’t hurt when she touched it, so she just shrugged off the curiosity and ignored it.

Once finished with finally being clean, she realized that it left her in a rather annoying position. She had no clothes to wear. Her shirt wasn’t salvageable, but after a good scrub, the rest of her clothes seemed alright. But that didn’t help her until they dried. And so she started being...nosy. She didn’t dare go into any other rooms, not yet. But the tiny little wardrobe hiding in ‘her room’ did have some things in it. Past the dust and rather musty smell, she was pleased to find a stash of old shirts. And by old, she meant something the wolfman must have worn as a teenager, judging by the faded and cracked band logos printed on the fronts.

Decked out in an Aerosmith shirt and a pair of boxers big enough to reach her knees, Kat had ignored the still niggling uncertainty on the ‘future’ and spent the rest of the day enjoying the massive amounts of books that seemed to be hidden everywhere. At first she’d looked for anything having to do with time and dimensions, but the single book she’d found had only touched on Time Turners and their restricted uses. So, she’d given into her general curiosity instead and grabbed up a bit of everything. But now, two Charms books, three on Transfiguration, one on dragons, and a night later, she was burnt out on reading.

Kat pushed herself up from the small bed, stretching and grumbled to herself. She needed to move, to do something. Letting her nervous energy take her, she paced out and downstairs. As she looked around, frowning at the dust and cobwebs with distaste, she realized there was something she could do. Lupin obviously didn’t take the best care of the place, considering how bare and dirty it was. If she was going to be stuck here, she might as well make it liveable.

With a new determination, she started digging around for any cleaning supplies. Surprisingly, there were some, stashed far back in the linen closet. Though it wasn’t much; just some really old fashion detergent powder, a few scrub brushes, a bucket, and a broom. Well, she could work with it. Just meant more work to be done. So she set to work.

First was the nasty rafters. After finding a step ladder, she hopped around, getting down every single cobweb she could find. Unfortunately, the amount of dust was more than she thought. She went straight for the nearest window and cursed when she bumped right into that damn invisible barrier Lupin had cast. Fucking hell! She hadn’t thought this through. She gave it a good kick, then froze when she saw the thatch of the broom go right through while her toe just got stubbed. Oh. It only stopped her?

Kat smacked her hand into her forehead at the obviousness of it then lifted the stick up and gave the barrier a poke with it. The wood went through it. Well, better than nothing. Carefully maneuvering, she stretched out and lifted the latch over the window and nudged the panes open. The breeze that swept in was an instant relief, making the thick and musty air much easier to breath. Lord, when was the last time he aired this place out?

Now that another issue was solved, she returned to her job. With the top most done, it was time to start working her way down. That meant the furniture was next. As she dusted and wiped off every surface she could find, she stopped beside the largest of the sheet covered lumps. Curious as to what it was, she lifted the sheet for a peak and squealed in delight. It was an old phonograph on a table with a crate of records under it. Oh, thank god. Music!

Forgetting all about her cleaning, she dropped to her knees and went through the old vinyls. And boy, were they old! Jazz, Swing, Big Band, Classical, a dab of Gospel, and all original. Not bad, she supposed. There was nothing like a good bit of Benny Goodman to get you going. She pulled one free, cranked up the old player, carefully set the record on, needle down, and grinned when the thumping and swinging sounds came out, scratchy but wonderful to her tune starved ears.

Feeling a bit more like herself, the rest of the cleaning went fast. Soon all the sheets were pulled free, cushions and rugs beat, floor swept and hand scrubbed, and every single cupboard scoured clean and reorganized. By time she was finished, the sun was low, dropping the temperature and turning the breeze cool. Kat laid back on the now plump sofa, groaning in relief as the air cooled her hot face. She looked around, admiring her work. The place looked a million times better and breathing didn’t feel like a safety hazard anymore. _Lupin had better appreciate this_ , she vaguely thought, letting her eyes drop closed for a moment.

The next thing Kat knew, she was waking up to bright sunlight in her eyes, curled up on the sofa with an aching back, and vague memories of a rather nasty nightmare. Flashes of sickly light, blank green eyes and cold hands, and the urge to cry. Ugh. She almost never had nightmares. Did they always do that? She couldn’t even remember what it was about, not really, but she still felt like someone had taken her heart and beat it with a hammer.

Shoving the feelings away as just more worries over the stupid fucking book, she dragged herself up and to the shower. The hot water did wonders for her poor back and to get off what she’d realized to be a good amount of dust and other things. Shit, had half of it settled into her hair? It was too bad that a shower was also a good time to think. While relaxing, Kat ended up with another growing headache but also an idea.

She was currently residing in a world with magic. So, why not use magic to help figure things out? If she remembered correctly, there were two things that she knew could help answer the unending question of whether or not to tell Lupin anything. Divination and Arithmancy. Now, that’s not to say that they didn’t exist for her. It was more of just some silly mumbo jumbo to categorize personalities. But here, it actually had some meaning and was used on a daily basis. Kind of.

Now, seeing as Divination was supposed to require a whole bunch of things to do your decision making, that was a no go. She had looked and Lupin didn’t have a set of tarot cards or a crystal ball sitting around, and tea leaves were supposed to be read by another person. So, that meant Arithmancy! Now that was right up her alley. As odd as it was, she liked math. She’d be rather good at it in school. And it was pretty useful when it came to art.

So, Kat dug up a nice stack of parchment, all her notes and timelines, a few books on the subject, and hunkered down to learn with the dulcet tones of Frank Sinatra scratching over the phonograph. While interesting, she quickly realized that she had no clue what she was doing.

What, exactly, was she supposed to use to compare to the numbers? What, that while there were seven books, she managed to get tossed into the third, leaving the doors open for positive outcomes? No, that’s stupid. Or that meant she had five books to try and fix things? That made a bit of sense, since five is supposed to be for change and transition, freedom, and eh - progressive thinking. Hm. That had her feeling a bit better.

Her focus ran out when her stomach began to protest. Hm, well, that’s what she got for skipping out on breakfast. A glance at the now clean and view-able clock showed the late time of six. Wait, six?! She jumped up and pressed herself to the barrier to peek out the window, finding that the sun was now on a downward path. Okay, breakfast and lunch then. And explained why the music had long stopped, now that she noticed. Well, shit.

Cursing herself for forgetting but also happy that another day was almost gone, she left her jumbled mess of notes and set about the little kitchen. A check in the pantry showed not much left. A bit of bread, a jar of marmite, a bottle of some kind of syrup that smelled sweet, sugar, and tea. The fridge didn’t fare much better, with only a few eggs, a hunk of cheese, and a inch of milk. That didn’t leave her with much to work with. That dick had better plan on coming back soon with groceries. She didn’t really want to starve to death.

Kat took what she knew could be used, dumped half in a bowl to whisk, heated up a pan on the stove, and promptly lost herself in the soothing act of cooking and Bobby Darin. Mmm, Bobby Darin. Though that was also how Lupin found her. One moment she was flipping a slice of french toast and singing, then next, she was screaming at the feel of a hand clamping down on her shoulder. Reacting on pure instinct, she span around, brandishing the hot pan in self defense and only just barely stopped herself from braining a very stunned werewolf.

“For fuck’s sake, don’t scare me like that, you dick!” she cried out, quickly dropping the pan back on the stove and slumped against the counter. The bastard only blinked, mouth pulled in a tight line with the corners twitching. “Don’t laugh at me!”

He only managed a few sputters before turning away and clearing his throat a few times. Kat felt her temper flare and put her back to him, returning to her food. Oh, the nerve of him. Gone for - what - four, almost five days now, then turns up out of nowhere, scares her, and laughs about it? She finished up her last slice, tossed them onto a plate, and glared when she found him leaning against the wall. Leaning and looking at her with an odd, thoughtful squint to those stupid green eyes.

“What are you looking at?” she snapped, pulling her plate close to her chest.

He didn’t answer right away, just worked his mouth before pushing himself straight. “I’m not sure,” he stated mysteriously and began to pull things from his pockets.

Kat scowled and pushed past him to reach the table. Men. Stupid, all of them. Especially tall ones with furry little problems. Her thoughts came to a jarring halt when she saw that her papers were still out, open for all to see. She dropped her plate and scrambled to stuff all the pages inside the book, but stopped when she heard a snort. She peeked over her shoulder to see him again, watching her.

“I already saw them,” he said with the slightest bit of a smirk.

“You what?! Lupin, those are-”

“Timelines and number charts. Don’t worry, I didn’t read it. But I do find it odd that you even know what Arithmancy is.”

Kat huffed, turning fully and pulled herself up as straight as she could. How had she already forgotten that he was frustrating prick? “I’m not an idiot. I thought I might as well make use of your little library while you disappeared for almost a _week_.”

Lupin hummed thoughtfully, rubbing his bearded chin. “You’re a bit of an enigma, Katherine.”

“No shit, Sherlock. My entire existence in this world is a fucking enigma! And don’t call me that!” She couldn’t help but feel a bit of childish pride when he looked taken aback. Must not be used to girls that weren’t afraid to speak their minds and didn’t let him be a smarmy git.

“Then what do you want me to call you?” he asked after a moment, pulling back on that calm, knowing expression.

“Kat,” she replied curtly and sat down.

“Alright then, Kat.” Then he turned, tapped the little things from his pocket with his wand. Kat almost jumped when they slowly grew into bags with what looked like groceries. Of course. He’d shrunk them for easier carrying. She watched him put everything away with narrowed eyes while nibbling at her dinner. Why was he being so blase? Wasn’t he going to say anything?

Once he finished, he took the other chair across from her, propped his elbows up on the table, rested his chin on his interlocked fingers, and just watched her. Kat felt her eye twitch and stared back. Every second made her nerves wind tighter, her paranoia started screeching lowly in the back of her head. Oh, god. If he didn’t stop she was going to flip the fucking table at him!

As if sensing her increasing agitation, he sighed and lowered his hands. “I owe you an apology.”

She stopped mid chew, lowering her head slightly and lifted both brows. “Really now?” she mumbled then swallowed. “Just now realizing you’ve been a bit dickish?”

He rolled his eyes, but otherwise, held his tongue. “Yes. I was completely out of line. It was unfortunate timing that you happened about here so close to the full moon. I’m not normally like that.”

“I would hope so. Everything I’ve read has you down as level headed and sweet. But-” She paused, looking him over carefully. “Fine. I accept your apology. I don’t know what it’s like having all that going on in your head, but I’m sure the wolf is a bit hard to control when you’re hours away from going full fluff. Not to mention I did get out a few low blows. I shouldn’t have brought up James.”

Her words surprised him, as seemed to be the new normal. Though, it didn’t last long. He leaned back and crossed his arms, continuing with his odd piercing stare. “Can you tell me something?”

“Shoot,” she said, popping the last bit of toast in her mouth.

“How are you not terrified of me?”

She laughed at that. “Because it’s you. I know it’s probably a bit unnerving, but I know you. You’re kind, patient, trustworthy, and have more self control than a monastery of celibate monks. Your reaction wasn’t that bad, considering everything that happened. I mean, I just waltzed right up to your little fairytale cottage, which I’m guessing has oodles of wards and spells on it to keep people out. Any person trying to keep people out that badly wouldn’t react well to intruders.”

“But I could have killed you,” he said sternly, frowning.

“You didn’t though. I’ve been thinking about it, actually. Now, I know next to nothing about how the lycanthropy affects you, but when you went more...feral, I suppose you could call it, your eyes turn gold. Am I right?”

“I’ve been told that happens, yes. But what does-”

She held up a hand, stopping him. “It has everything to do with it. You might have started it, but I sure as hell put up a fight. I think...me fighting back made - eh, what do you call the…?” She tapped the side of her head.

Lupin gave her a rueful smile. “James always used say it was ‘Moony’ taking over, but I've always just called it 'the wolf.”

“Of course. Well, Moony seemed to enjoy it, the challenge, that is.”

“Perhaps...” he said, suddenly looking uncomfortable.

“Maybe he misses having company when he gets his time.”

Kat regretted her words when he suddenly looked very tired and sad. Ah, shit. She shouldn’t have brought up the Marauders. She was about to apologize when he sighed, pulled a newspaper from his other pocket, and slapped it onto the table. At her questioning look, he gestured to it and leaned back. She picked it up carefully, unfolded it, and cringed at the black and white moving picture of a pale, crazed man. Her stomach leapt up into her throat as she took it in. The long black hair, matted and tangled from years and years of filth, face so thin he looked more like a skeleton with eyes sunken into dark pits, only the whites gleaming madly from the depths.

“Sirius,” she breathed, not even needing to look at the headline on the paper to know just who it was. “Oh, god.”

“You were right.”

Kat ripped her eyes from the picture, swallowing hard when she met his gaze over the paper. She wasn’t sure what to say. I told you so? No. What did he think on it? She couldn’t tell. He seemed to be a master of controlling his expressions now, without the influence of the moon no longer pushing his buttons.

“How did he do it?”

Fuck. Would that be okay to tell him? It couldn’t hurt, it had already happened. “Eh, if I tell you, you can’t tell anyone else about it.” He gave her a serious nod. Ah, well, time to trust him. “Well...he was already starved enough that it was easy to slip through the bars as a dog. The Dementors don’t really sense animals the same way they do humans, so they didn’t notice him do it while they were feeding him. Jumped into the sea and swam for it.”

Lupin gave a bitter laugh and rubbed his hands over his face. “Bloody sod was always too clever for his own good,” he muttered through his fingers. When his hands dropped, she fought the urge to flinch away at the sudden cold fury in them. “Where is he headed?”

“Like I’m going to tell you. You’ll just try to kill him!” she snapped.

Wrong thing to say. Lupin slapped both hands on the table, making the entire thing groan and wobble. “Why are you protecting him?! He’s a murderer for Merlin’s sake! Unless you’ve been lying to me this entire time!”

“No! I - ugh -” Kat groaned and felt her stomach try to reject her dinner. Fuck. Oh, fuck, this is bad. Stupid, stupid! Why did she open her big mouth. So fucking stupid! There was only thing left to do. He was going to hate her. “He’s innocent!” she spat out, immediately slapping her hands over her mouth.

Lupin’s face went deathly pale, then red with fury. But he kept himself from exploding, much to her relief. “Innocent?” he whispered, voice deadly calm.

“Lupin, if I tell you anymore, I-I don’t know if things will end right.”

“I don’t care! You know what happened, I know you do. I have a right to know. They were my friends, my family, Kat!”

She sucked in a deep breath and pinched her eyes closed. She agreed, really, she did. But what would be the outcome of it? Maybe she could...skirt the truth. “All I can say is that he didn’t kill those muggles, he didn’t betray James and Lily.”

“That’s not enough! Please-”

“You don’t understand!” He jerked back at her cry. “You don’t get it, do you? I-I don’t know what will happen if I tell you more! Everything I say could ruin it all! One little thing and _he_ might win.”

Suddenly, everything she had been trying to bottle up from the past week spilled out. All the questions, the fears, the sheer panic of the entire situation overwhelmed her. She couldn’t do this. This was insane. She-she needed to leave or it would all just fall apart! She pushed up from her seat and backed away with tears burning her eyes. Oh, god, oh god. How? How to leave?

Lupin jumped up as well, rounding the table to approach her with slow steps. “Kat-”

“I can’t stay here,” she croaked, sucking in quick breaths to keep herself from breaking. “It’s too dangerous for me to be here. You’re supposed to be smart, Lupin! SMART! If I tell you things, it will throw the entire timeline off!”

As he took another step closer, she felt a familiar pull and jerked her eyes to his pockets. The wand! Lupin noticed as well, jumping and slapping a hand over the right one. Without thinking, she dove forward, jammed her hand in, and ripped it out before he had a chance to react. The wood throbbed against her fingers as she danced back, thrusting the point at him and making him freeze with his own wand just sliding into his hand from his sleeve.

“Please don’t try to stop me,” she whispered, voice wavering as another surge of emotions made her blink back more tears. “It’s for the best.”

“You don’t know that,” he said softly, eyes darting from the wand to her face. “You know everything that will happen. He comes back, doesn’t he?” She sucked her lips in and bit down hard on the lower one. Taking that as answer enough, he pushed on. “What if we could stop it?”

“We can’t! Shit, have you never heard of the butterfly effect?! One little action can have an infinite amount of reactions. My being here could have already caused lasting effects!”

“Then it’s too late! You were sent here for a reason. Maybe you’re supposed to change things.”

“There’s no reason _to_ change it. The books have a happy ending. There is literally no reason for me to be here! I don’t know why this stupid fucking wand brought me here!”

"You’re wrong."

Kat scowled at him. "How the fuck do you know that? You have no idea what happened.”

Lupin growled under his breath, looking torn. “Because-” he started, stopping to swallow audibly. “Because you’re bonded to me."


	5. Flee

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hm. It's been a good while. I can only say I have far too many health problems and can only apologize. It an't be helped. -shrugs-
> 
> Regardless, here is the next chapter!

Kat stood stunned at his declaration. No. There was no fucking way this was happening. A sharp laugh escaped her and she slapped her free hand to her face. “Yo-you’re funny!” she cried out, taking a stumbling step back. “Oh, man, this just keeps getting better and better! Look at this Twilight bullshit going on! HA! Lupin, there is no fucking way in any universe. Give me a better excuse!”

“You think I’m lying about this?” he said quietly, letting his arms drop to his sides. “Fine, tell me. Have you found any new, odd marks on you recently?” Her hand went to her left shoulder before she could think and his eyes snapped to the action, nostrils flaring.

“What does that have to do with this?” she asked, trying desperately to keep her mind calm.

“The chance of a werewolf finding a potential mate is abysmally small. So small, that most believe it a myth, almost like finding your soulmate. Though I was able to find a few recorded situations of it happening, one where it was...completed. Do you know what happens when a werewolf touches a potential for the first time?”

The bottom dropped out of her stomach and she curled her fingers in the material of her shirt. The damn thing was shaped like a hand. His hand. It must have been when he grabbed her that first time. No. This couldn’t be happening. She wasn’t even from this world! How the fuck could she be his goddamn  _ mate _ ! What about Tonks, him getting married and having a fucking kid?!

“The mark binds them, immediately,” he continued, voice still low, soft. “Lycanthropy isn’t a normal ailment. It’s magical, a curse. The curse stays in them, constantly fighting to change them completely. Along with it comes all the things you associate with a wolf. If the wolf thinks it has found a mate, it doesn’t consider. It will instantly mark and create a magical connection regardless of the host. Ties them, bonds their core to the werewolf for protection and to start adjusting their magic to the wolf’s.”

“But I’m not a werewolf and I’m not magical! That doesn’t make any sense!”

“It doesn’t matter. Look, I don’t know why this happened. But I just..I feel as if there’s a reason for it. Whatever it is that brought you here knew there was a connection.”

“No…” Kat backed up another step, jerking her wand straight when he moved to follow. “You’re wrong.” This was insane. It couldn’t be true. She refused to believe it. She needed to leave, get away from him. Fuck the book, fuck the timeline. She didn’t want to be apart of this anymore.

So she did the thing that had brought her here in the first place. She closed her eyes and pleaded to the piece of wood. The wand burst with light bright enough to see through her closed eyes. There was a faint shout, but she barely heard it when the same sucking and tightening feeling clamped down on her, twisting and pulling, moving her through that horrible tiny tube again. Then it stopped.

When she opened her eyes, she cried out in relief, finding the dark, box filled, white walled space around her again. Oh, god, it worked! Kat dropped to her knees, throwing the wand away and covering her face with her hands, finally let the tears fall. It was over, she was home again. The relief was immediate, easing her chest slightly. But it wasn’t completely fine. There was a tight ball of pain and emptiness behind her heart. She wiped at her face, sucking in shuddered breaths, and cautiously touched the mark peeking out from under the collar of her shirt. It was hot to the touch.

No, fuck it. It was just a-a burn or some sort of scar from one of those stupid spells he cast on her. The entire thing was just lie. She swallowed down her tears and struggled to her feet, panicked fingers pulling at the shirt. It wasn’t from here. She needed to get rid of it! She ripped the shirt and boxers off, throwing them across the room and stumbled through the apartment to her bathroom. God, she felt so dirty. She-she needed to get clean.

She slapped on the lights, climbed into the tub, and turned the tap on has hot as it would go before crouching down and hugging her knees to her chest. As the hot water beat down on her, she kept forcing herself to think. It’s done, it’s over. It was all just some stupid dream. It had to have been. He’s not real, just a made up character in one of her weird dreams. She must have breathed in some sort of mold and hallucinated. It was the only thing.

And so she forced it all way. One by one, she pushed away the thoughts, the worries, the ‘what if’s, and buried them deep. By time the water was cold, she felt calm again. Not whole, but not shattered. Good enough to get by until she forgot it all.

Kat quickly dried, threw on the an oversized shirt and underwear, and dropped onto the bare mattress tucked into the corner. Her entire body ached and her head felt like it was filled with wool as she laid there, staring up at the ceiling. Tired, she supposed. She was tired. Maybe sleep would be good. She rolled over while tugging up a blanket, closed her eyes, and tried to let the distant screech of the ‘L’ lull her to sleep, in spite of the sad green eyes she couldn’t drive from her mind.

 

* * *

 

_ Bzzzzzt! _

Kat gasped awake, wildly looking around. Fuck, where was she?! She sat up, shoving a hand through her bed head, relaxing when she was met with black garbage bags of clothes and empty white walls. Right. Her apartment. A loud buzzing echoed through the apartment, making her jump. Shit! The door!

She threw herself from bed, grabbing up a pair of jogging pants and tugged them on while she hopped down the hall. Once to the door, she slapped the door panel. “Sorry, sorry! Who’s there?” she called, scrambling with the locks.

“Jordy’s Movers, lady!”

“Right, great. Come on up,” she said breathlessly, then held down the buzzer.

She threw the door open and leaned out, watching a tall and beefy man stumped up the stairs, waving a clipboard at his sweaty face. He grumbled under his breath once he reached her and thrust it at her. “‘Bout damn time. Here, look this over while we move the rest in. You can sign after you look over everything to make sure there’s no damage, okay?”

She nodded dumbly, backing up when he waved up another set of men a flight down. They thundered up, nodding to her as they hefted her couch up and angled it in. It didn’t take long for them to haul up the rest. Her dining table and chairs, bed frame, bookshelves, coffee table, desk, tv, and her favorite armchair. No scratches, no scuffs. Everything perfect. Pretty good, all things considered. More awake now, she signed her name, and made sure to give each of them a good tip, earning wide grins.

Once the movers left, she stepped into her living room, breathed deeply, and let it out with a smile. It felt good to have a new place. What would she do with everything? Well, whatever she wanted! God, how long had it been since she could just do as she pleased? Too long, that’s what. Fuck Greg.

With renewed energy, she pulled out her laptop, threw on some music, and got to work. It was amazing to do, really. She hauled boxes to their assigned rooms, sorted hangers for her clothes, and started opening boxes, but stopped when she noticed the layer of dust and grime on most of the surfaces. Ugh, Barb hadn’t had the placed cleaned out after the last tenant. There was no way she was going to put anything away if everything was this dirty. So she changed her tactics and pulled out her box of cleaning supplies, moving into the living room.

She froze when her eyes looked over the room. In the middle of the hardwood floor sat the half circle of six books and drips of blood. Oh, god. It was still there. Best...best just get it out of the way. She scrubbed up the blood with the discarded clothes, gathered everything up, and threw it in the old, beat up box. Then dropped the wand in, shoved the lid on, and hid it far back in her closet as she could. There. It was gone. Nothing to remind her. Nothing.

A buzz interrupted her thoughts. Who was - oh! She hurried to the door and pushed on the panel again. “Hello?”

“Oh, Kitty, dear!” came a bouncy voice through the speaker.

She let out a light laugh. “Hey, mom. It’s open.” Then, buzzed her in, opened the door and grinned as the familiar plump form of her mother hurried up the stairs. Patsy Jones, the sweet, overbearing, and forgetful woman that was her mother puffed up the last step and pulled her into a one armed hug.

“Hi, hi! I brought lunch with me!” Patsy sang, letting go and brandishing a pizza box in her other hand. The woman swept in, dropping her purse to the floor and looked around the space with a critical eye. “Hm. You were right. You really  _ did _ get lucky with this place,” she said, nodding to herself. “Much larger than those places you were looking at before. And there’s a security system?”

“Yes, mom. Though-”

“And rent?”

Kat sighed, taking the box from her and walking into the kitchen. “Eight hundred a month with everything included but the internet. Most places in Chicago are like that, remember?”

“For a one bedroom?!”

“It’s only two hundred more than my old studio. I can easily afford it for a year with the settlement,” she answered flatly, dropping the pizza onto the table and peeking inside. Mmm, deep dish.

“Well, I guess that’s okay then. And...pests?” Patsy asked, peeking around the corner from the living room.

“None that I could find and the landlady swore that they haven’t had any in years. Mom, I know how to check everything. After the last three times, I think I’m a pro at finding bed bugs by now.”

“I guess. I’ll have to bring your aunt up here to visit then! Thank god you have parking for once. Oh, you could take us to that nice little bakery is that asian area. What’s it called again?”

Her mother moved into the kitchen, opening every cabinet and glaring in before nodding and moving to the next. “Little Saigon, but yeah, I can take you guys around. But we’re not going to the pier again. Last time - Mom, will you just sit down?”

Patsy huffed and closed the fridge, then sat down heavily. “Sorry. I just - I worry about you, you know that. I want to make sure everything is perfect before I leave.”

Kat couldn’t help but smile. God, she loved her mom. The woman was an absolute worry wart, but each thing she picked at only meant she cared. And also the only person to keep her from falling apart during the entire divorce. Fronting the money for the lawyer, taking off work so much she almost lost her job just to travel up here, and of course, the wonderful time where she’d punched Greg right in the nose. Oh, god, that had been the best moment of her life.

A pat on her hand pulled her from her thoughts and she blinked at her mother’s smiling face. “How are you feeling?” Patsy asked quietly.

“Uh, okay, I suppose. Tired? It’s been a busy week,” she replied, pulling her eyes down to stare at the pizza. A busy week, indeed. She just now realized that, while it had been almost an entire week in her ‘dream’, almost no time had passed here at all. It felt so...odd.

“Well, you have plenty of time to rest up. Have you taken any new commissions yet?”

“Nah. I might in a week or two, but I want some time to destress. Maybe work on some personal pieces.”

Patsy laughed, grabbing up a piece of pizza and dumping it on a paper plate. “Oh, I still can’t believe how far you’ve come. You know, I still have that picture you made for me in the third grade, with the Pokemon on it. Framed and in the dining room!”

“Oh, god, no, Mom! I told you take that down!”

“But it’s good! You’d never think a eight year old made it. And if you’re embarrassed, your brother’s butterfly from first grade is right next to it.”

“I bet Danny just loves that,” Kat said, taking her own piece and balancing it carefully in her hands.

“Complains about it every time he visits. Oh, did you know he got a new job?”

Kat shook her head with a smile, leaning an elbow on the table, and let her mother’s chatter wash over her. Once they finished their meal, her mother took over the music, putting on a special playlist Kat had made just for her, and then rolled her sleeves up start the cleaning. A Jones women was a force to be reckoned with, as her dad had said so many times, even if it was just through marriage.

Then they went to town. All the floors were swept and mopped, every cabinet and surfaces wiped, windows scrubbed to sparkle. Once that was finished, the boxes were opened. Dishes were piled up and cleaned systematically before being tucked away, books stacked on shelves, and they spent an hour alone trying to get the bedframe up and bed made.

All the while, her mom chatted about the family. Her uncle Mike had finally retired completely to focus on his woodworking, cousin Tia was still a traveling nurse, currently residing in Alaska, the neighbors had gotten a new poodle, and of course, dad still had to sleep with the tv on and it was driving her mom crazy at night.

Unfortunately they only managed to get through half of it before the visit was over. Over much too soon for her tastes. She sighed as her mom picked up her purse and went to the door, following with heavy feet. Maybe it was a bit childish, but she didn’t want her to leave. After all she’d dealt with, the warm, solid presence of her mother helped her not think about...everything. It must have shown on her face because she was grabbed up into a tight hug.

“I wish I could stay longer,” her mom whispered, squeezing tightly.

“Dad would be pissed if you missed anymore work,” Kat said, pulling back and forcing a smile. “I’ll be fine.”

Patsy frowned slightly, but let it drop to an understanding smile. “Call me whenever you need to. Maybe you can walk me through that video chat thing again too.”

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Kat nodded. “I’ll call.”

“You better! I don’t want to wait another six months to hear something from you! Now, I have to go. I love you.”

“Love you too, Mom. Be safe on the drive back.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll have Paul to keep me company! Bye!”

And with that, Patsy hurried down the stairs, singing a Paul McCartney song as she did, and disappeared out the front door of the building with a wave. Kat stepped back in, closed the door, and leaned against it with a heavy sigh. Well, what now? She was alone again. The press of the quiet was almost too much. She swallowed around the tightness in her chest and sucked in a shuddered breath.

This was stupid! Why was she so upset? It felt like her heart was squeezing itself into a pulp. Kat pushed away with a growl and stormed into the living room. She just needed to distract herself. And what better way than doing what she did best. She dug through one of her supply boxes, pulling out a sketchbook, china marker, and flopped on the sofa.

She forced herself to relax, stared at the paper for a moment, then just let her hand move. Over the years, she’d learned that at times, it was best to not try too hard when it came to sketching. Too much focus and things tended to stall. But if you simply let go, the things you could make would surprise you. At first, the lines were vague, just a basic gesture of a person, but as she continued, it slowly became more obvious just what it was.

After a good ten minutes, she finally leaned back, focusing on the paper, and wanted to throw it across the room. It was a man sitting in a chair, leaning forward, elbows to his knees, fingers interlaced, and his chin propped up on them. But she knew exactly who it was. She’d gotten his face down perfectly, much to her distaste. Those stupid, fucking eyes that seemed to just have all the sorrows of the world in them.

She slammed the book closed and dropped it on the table, pushing it away in disgust. He wasn’t real. A figment of her and the collective world’s imagination. Who even knew if he’d actually been Remus Lupin. There were so many different ways she’d seen people draw him. Hundreds of thousands of different frustrating Lupins. Maybe the asshole that had essentially kidnapped her had just been a random guy, one that took her asking if he was Lupin, and just ran with it.

So, who knew! But, regardless, it didn’t matter! She was home, she was safe, she was away from all of that. No point thinking about it. It would only cause her more stress. Something that she didn’t need more of in her life right now. She had three old commissions to do that the client had been nice enough to let her extend the due date due to all her personal issues. It really would be in poor taste to just leave them.

Kat heaved herself up, grimacing when her joints complained. Jeeze. Did sleeping on a mattress without a box really make that big of a difference? She felt like she was eighty. Maybe it was just all the moving catching up to her. Getting as much done as they had today was a bit much, but she’d just felt the need to. It was a good distraction. One that she was looking forward to working on more.

By the time she finally dragged herself into her room, every bit of energy she had was gone, even the nervous restless kind. Her eyes kept drooping, feet stumbling. Never mind. It wasn’t worth it to even look at her computer, much less boot it up. She dropped onto her bed, kicked off her pants, and sprawled out. A bit of extra sleep would do her good.

It didn't do her any good. While she did fall asleep almost instantly, it wasn’t restful. Kat awoke suddenly, finding the room dark, and groaned when her head throbbed from just the slight movement of her eyelids. Fuck. She felt like absolute shit. No, not shit. Like death. Everything ached, she felt like she was on fire, but cold at the same time. Oh, god. Did she have any medicine?

She weakly slid from bed, but stopped when her stomach lurched. Uh oh. She threw herself into the bathroom, just barely making it before she lost everything she’d eaten earlier. It left her even weaker than before and all she could do was slump over the toilet, panting and cringing at the sour bile in her mouth. And she felt even hotter than before. It was almost painful when she cautiously pressed her fingers to her face.

Fever. Bad one. Need to get it down. Shower would work. Though thinking it and actually doing it were two different things. Her legs were like lead weights and arms like noodles. Every time she tried to push herself up, one or the other would buckle under her. Fucking hell! Just, do it. Take a deep breath and go! Kat ground her teeth and pushed, managing a crouch before she toppled over into the tub.

She fought back a wave of tears as her  _ everything _ hurt. What the hell was wrong with her? The flu had never hit her this bad before. At least the porcelain of the tub felt cool again her face. A sigh escaped her as she rubbed her cheek along the smooth surface. Oooh, like heaven.

The moment of peace was cut short when a searing pain ripped through her, making her cry out and jerk. Fuck, fuck, fuck! It was coming from her shoulder! With panicked movements, she fumbled the shirt over her head and gaped at the goddamned handprint. It was  _ red _ ! Like a fresh burn and, oh god, were those…? It looked like it was branching out somehow. Little lines of color were shifting and moving around the edges, seeming to line up with her veins. 

She touched it with her fingers and felt her vision darken around the edges slightly when another roiling wave of pain smashed into her. What - the fuck - did that bastard - do to her?! Fucking Lupin and his stupid fucking world with it’s stupid fucking magic and- Every thought came to screeching halt when the thing throbbed, not a physical throb. No. It was like the wand. Maybe more of a thrum considering it had a slight musical value to it.

And then it burned. Oh, mother of god, did it  _ burn _ ! Kat bit down on tongue to keep from screaming. It hurt so much! It needed to stop! She had to stop it! Wa-water would help. It had to! She blindly slapped at the faucet handle and almost fainted in relief as the cool liquid instantly soothed her skin. Oh, thank god. She slumped back down to lay on the bottom of the tub, panting.

But, again, it didn’t last. The mark didn’t seem to react well at all to it. The pain lessened slightly, then doubled, this time actually ripping a scream from her. It was excruciating. It felt like the thing was trying to burn through her. She had to get it off! She reached up and grabbed at her skin, nails digging in where she felt the puckered flesh of the scar was. The bite of her nails was like a tickle compared to the burn. Soon the water running off of her was red and pink, but it hadn’t stopped hurting. Nonono!

Kat flatted her hand, cradling the source of her pain, and curled up into a sobbing ball. Was she going to die? She almost wished she would. Then this would all be over. Why did this have to happen? Why did she ever have to meet Remus Lupin?

Her thoughts went hazy, mind slowly numbing to the constant pain. Through the roaring in her ears and the loud thunder of water around her, she faintly heard a crack before it all just faded out.


	6. Reprieve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter! -salutes-

A warm breeze, the quiet chirping of birds, soft sheets and blankets. Mmm, it was kinda nice. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d woken up this way. Kat shifted and rolled onto her side, letting her free arm stretch out. Her fingers curled up on the blanket, relishing in how warm it was. Oh, it would be nice to stay like this forever. In that between stage of awake and still sleeping. Just sleepy, hazy, warm contentedness.

She rolled again, taking more of the blanket up with her. God, where did she get this again? She wanted another! Then she bumped into something firm. Hm. Did she put more pillows on the bed? She scooted closer, patting it lightly. Wait, no. That-that wasn’t a pillow. Pillows weren’t this firm. Then it moved slightly.

Kat ripped her eyes open and was met with the relaxed, slumbering face of Remus Lupin. She shrieked and threw herself off the bed, landing on her ass painfully. It must have woken him, because she heard a masculine grunt as she scrambled to her feet and as far from him as possible. How in the fucking hell?!

“How did you get in my apartment?!” she yelled, plastering herself to the opposite wall.

Lupin shot up, squinting against the sun while giving her a sleepy gape. He was still fully clothed, looking annoying handsome with a rumpled button up and dress pants. His shirt was partially unbuttoned, showing that damn chest and… Her eyes locked on a rather vicious looking scar, deep bite and claw wounds on his shoulder. The bite that had turned him.

He must have realized just what she was looking at. His face dropped as he sighed and stood up. “You shouldn’t have left,” he said, shoving a hand through his hair.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” she spat and inched closer to the door.

“Only the fact that you almost died, you barmy bird!” he snapped, rounding the bed.

“That doesn’t explain how you got here. Oh, god. This can’t be happening,” she groaned, sucking in quick breaths. “This is insane. No, no, no!”

Lupin jumped and put himself between her and the open door, hands held out, palms front. “We need to discuss this, Kat.”

“I’m not going to talk to you about anything. You’re not real! Leave me alone!” That familiar low keen of panic made her head swim. She’d left! How was this happening?!

He let out a frustrated growl and took a step towards her. “Oh no, I’m very real.” His eyes darted to her shoulder. “You’re very lucky I was able to get here in time.” She moved back, jamming herself into the corner, arms wrapped herself.

“What do you mean?”

“It would seem you can’t go too far away from me. The bond didn’t react well to you leaving.”

She felt the blood drain from her face and reached up to touch the mark without thinking. “But-but it’s not-”

“Enough of this!” he growled and lunged forward, making her jerk when his hands clamped down on her. The soothing heat was almost instant, making her head swim. Goddamnit, why did he have to be so warm? She felt something in her relax, her chest loosening and knees grow weak. He seemed to have the same reaction, some low noise rumbling from his chest making her eyes go cross. His fingers spread, completely engulfing her shoulders, and gently pulled her closer. The blood that had fled her face returned in full force.

It seemed so oddly intimate, even though he was barely touching her. Her stomach flipped when he leaned down to bring his face level with hers. Those deep green eyes were filled with some emotion she couldn’t pinpoint. Whatever it was, it made her mouth dry. Then they narrowed slightly, taking on an almost hungry look. It went straight through her, making her skin erupt in goosebumps. Oh no. No. She could  _ not _ be attracted to him.

Kat ripped away from him, tripping over a still sealed bag of clothes and fell to the floor. He straightened, not even the least bit phased by her reaction, and casually put his hands in his pockets. “What did you do to me?” she whispered.

“ _ I _ didn’t do anything.”

“Bullshit!” she spat, jumping to her feet.

“Do you think I wanted this? Because, believe me, love, you are far from ideal,” he replied calmly.

Something about his tone made her bristle, rage sparking her into action. She grabbed up the nearest thing and flung it at him. The dick didn’t even blink, just leaned to the side and let the half empty bottle of water bounce harmlessly off the wall before straightening again. “Fuck you!”

Again, that had been the wrong thing to say. His eyes flashed dangerously, mouth tightening just the slightest. “You’re behaving like a child.”

“A child?” Kat pulled at her hair as her frustration peaked. “Oh, sure. I’m having a mental breakdown, you prick!”

He heaved out a sigh at that. “Regardless of how you feel, this situation isn’t going away. You can’t keep running away.”

“I can do whatever I want. Why do you even care?”

“Because you’ll die. Or did you not hear what I said before?”

“Again, why do you care? Let me die! I’m just some random crazy girl that popped up out of nowhere and almost ruined your stupid good ending.”

“I don’t know!” he shouted, hands ripping from his pockets to shove at his hair. Kat blinked at his sudden outburst, feeling her anger settle a bit. “I don’t bloody know why! Maybe it’s the bond, maybe it’s something else, but I’m not just going to walk away when it could mean your life. Even more so when there are things we don’t understand so obviously pushing us together.”

Shit. Guilt wormed its way up, making her pinch her eyes closed and sit down on the edge of her bed. This entire thing was so fucked up. He was right, of course. The intelligence and wisdom was finally shining in full colors with him at the moment. But she could also sense that he was just as tilted as she was. She wasn’t sure why, it was just a feeling. She counted down from thirty and mentally slapped down every panicked thought that popped up. C’mon, be an adult.

Pulling in a deep, steadying breath, she lifted her head and gave him a steady stare. “Let’s talk then.” He seemed taken aback by her words, but recovered quickly, giving her a nod. “But I need something to help...cushion this,” she muttered, standing.

“Maybe you should - er - put some clothes on first.”

Kat looked down and blinked at her bare legs and yellow striped underwear peeking out from under her shirt. When had she gotten… Oh. Shit, he must have dragged her out of the shower last night. She looked up up at him, lifting a brow. “Why? You’ve already seen pretty much everything, since you’re obviously the one who put this on me.”

Lupin cleared his throat and shifted on his feet with a red face. “Please, Kat...”

Well, that was surprising. “Fine. Since you asked so nicely,” she said with a roll of her eyes and grabbed up her abandoned jogging pants.

She stepped around him, went into the living room, tugged on her pants, and dropped to sit cross legged at the coffee table. Ignoring his slow following presence, she pulled her old cigar box out from under it and flipped it open. The strong, skunky smell of her stash washed over her. Oh, yes. It had been too long. This was much needed. Taking up her packed pipe, she snatched up a loose lighter, held it to her lips, and took a long, deep hit. The hot smoke filled her lungs, making her toes curl, and let it out slowly, ending it with a long sigh. Oh, god, yes. Just want she needed.

Through the smoke, she spotted Lupin’s surprised face and grinned. “What’s wrong, wolf man?”

“Is that…?”

“What, this?” At his blank look, she snorted and rocked in place, feeling the herb taking affect. “Ah, okay. Lovely weed, dope, pot, the good old Mary Jane. My buddy’s amazing sativa indica blend,” she sang and held it out to him. “Want some?”

He hesitated for a moment, eyes trained on the pipe in her hand, then nodded. Her brows jumped up in surprise, but let him take it, offering the lighter as well. He waved it off then snapped his fingers. She watched in amazement as a tiny flame flickered to life above his pointer finger and thumb. More magic. Wandless magic. Impressive. It was entrancing to watch as he put the pipe between his lips, put the flame to the herb, and pulled in, deeper than she had herself. He held it for a few moments before breathing out and releasing a big cloud and sat heavily down on the sofa.

“Merlin, that is good,” he rumbled appreciatively with a faint crooked smile and handed the pipe back to her.

Kat grinned and took another hit herself. “I didn’t take you for the type,” she said, voice deep with smoke.

“I was a teenager in the seventies, love,” he mumbled back. “The lads thought that it helped with transformations a bit so we always had a stash. I know they had some plants hidden out in the Forbidden Forest. Probably Sir-”

His words cut off abruptly, face pulling into a sad grimace. Ah. Bad memories. She shoved the pipe back at him. He took it and pulled another deep hit with his neat little finger flame. As he relaxed even more, she leaned her elbows on the coffee table and offered a smile. “I can see how it would help. If the change is anything like what I think, it would help ease things. I bet a doped up wolf would be more fun to run with as well.”

The man spat out a harsh laugh and leaned back into the cushions after passing it back. “Yes.” A wistful look took over his face. “You remind me far too much of him.”

That grabbed her attention. “Him?” she asked and took another hit. His face twisted again, but this time with a wistful smile. Ah. “Oh, right,  _ him _ .”

They fell into a silence after that, passing the pipe back and forth a few more times before she cleaned the ashes and packed it up. While her mind was a in a liquidy haze, finally calmed and not screaming with a million things, she couldn’t help but admire how much younger he looked all relaxed. Not that he was really that old to start off with. Only five years older than her. But the strain of the monthly transformations had aged him prematurally, showed with the extra lines on his face and the grey in his hair.

One of his eyes lazily cracked open, the deep green glinting a bit. She wiggled her eyebrows, making him laugh and shake his head. “What?” she asked with a snort.

“I’m hungry,” he said lazily, lifting his hand up and examining it.

“Mmm, you’ve got the munchies then. Well, I have just the thing to fix that.” She pushed herself up, wobbling slightly on her feet, and went to the kitchen. She didn’t have any food, but she did have most of that pizza left. It was still in the fridge, thankfully. She pulled it out, wobbled back into the living room and plopped down beside the werewolf on the couch. His head lolled over, squinting at the pizza when she flipped the lid open.

“What in the world is that?” he asked.

“This-” she said, lifting a thick piece and holding it out to him. “Is Chicago style deep dish pizza. Cold, but still good. Ever had it?”

“That is pizza?”

Kat lifted a brow at his incredulous tone. “Are you really going to insult my food when you’re hungry?”

“Oh, no. I wouldn’t dare,” he said with a grin and took it from her. It was impossible not to laugh when he bit into it and groan, eyes closing as he chewed.

She took her own piece and pushed the box away, leaning back to eat as well. It was surreal. Here she was, sitting on her couch in a half unpacked apartment, eating cold pizza with a high Remus Lupin, a character from a made up fantasy book series. A Welsh werewolf, expert in dark arts defense, war hero, destined to be stuck fighting prejudice assholes until he died.

God, this was all so fucked up. Even with everything happening, she couldn’t push away the feeling of connection with him. All the years of reading, imagining his life, and drawing what she thought he looked like, and here he was. She wanted to help him. Was it the weird bond his wolf had decided to make between them or something else?

The thoughts cleared her mind a bit, reminding her of the conversation that needed to be had. She glanced over, finding him finished with his slice and leaning back with his eyes closed again. Well, this would be the best time to do it. Let the weed cushion what would definitely be a hard talk.

“So,” she said carefully, waiting for him to crack an eye open again and acknowledge her. “How did you get here?”

Her question seemed to wake him up a bit, both eyes opening fully and looking a bit more alert. “I’m not sure,” he answered quietly, staring hard at the ceiling.

“Really?”

“I-” He started, then stopped, throat working as he swallowed. “When you left, the wolf became restless. I could feel this pull, right here-” He put a hand to his chest, fingers digging into a particularly large scar. “The bond, I reckon. The fatigue came almost right away, as if it was the day of a full moon.”

“Like you’ve managed to get all the strains of the flu at the same time,” she added, grimacing when she remembered the chills and aches.

His head jerked towards her, eyes wide. “You were sick?”

“Yeah. It was horrible.”

“That would explain the restlessness...” he murmured, expression becoming thoughtful.

“That wasn’t all of it though.” Kat bit her lip and breathed in deeply through her nose. “The mark...it burned. It felt like it was on fire.”

Lupin cursed under his breath and sat up, hands roughly pushing at his hair. “Shite. I-I thought I felt pain. It enraged the wolf. I-I don’t know why, but it made me panic. I knew I had to get to you. Then that pull got stronger, so I tried to Apparate.”

“What?” She sat up as well, eyes widening. Was he insane? Even she knew that you couldn’t Apparate without knowing your destination, much less over distances that long. “That could have killed you!”

“I know!” he snapped, face in his hands now. “But I had to do something. When the wolf starts to push, I just can’t help what I do. But it worked and-” He stopped mid sentence, hands dropping and looking at her in confusion. “Wait, how do you know about Apparating?”

Heat rushed to her face and she looked away, chewing on her lip. Oh, god. How was she supposed to tell him what a big nerd she was for the series? He’d think her crazy. Well, if he didn’t already… “I’ve read all the books and more,” she muttered, fiddling with the fraying hole on her knee. “I know a good bit about spells. You’re lucky you didn’t get Splinched.”

“I don’t think it was luck.” She could feel his gaze burning into the side of her face and shifted uncomfortably. “The wolf wanted to protect you and I believe it used the bond to get to you.”

“It shouldn’t have worked,” she snapped, looking at him again. The intense look she found made her mouth dry. “The only thing that can take you distances like that is a Portkey. Much less to another fucking world, another time! Nothing, not even Time Turners can do that!”

“That is why I think there's something else connecting us,” he said, frowning. “Something that made the wolf take over and mark you in the first place.”

She swallowed, trying to work moisture into her mouth, and tried to find anything that would explain it. But there wasn’t! She wasn’t a witch. Magic wasn’t real outside books, games, and movies. These things didn’t happen. You weren’t just tied to another person, much less one that didn’t even exist!

“Kat, how did you get to...my world?”

“I told you. I don’t know how,” she said faintly, rubbing a hand to her forehead.

“Something must have happened. Just tell me everything. It might give a clue to something,” he urged. His hand reached out, but stopped and pulled back, gripping onto his knee.

He did have a point. She sighed and pushed her frizzing hair back from her face. He knew a lot more about this sort of thing that she did. It was his world after all. So she stood and went to the small coat closet, pulling out the box and pushing it over.

“This,” she said, grimacing when her voice cracked slightly. “I found this old box. It had all seven books in it, still packed away from when I’d left to go to college.” She sat down, took the lid off, and glared at the offending wand sitting on the pile of blood stained clothes. The sight made her stomach churn. She put the wand on the table, tossed the clothes to the side, and gently picked up the first book.

“I’ve read all of these more times than I can count,” she said quietly, running a finger over the embossed cover.

“They’re about…”

“Harry,” she finished, glancing up and gave him a soft smile when his eyes widened. “One book for each year of Hogwarts. A fictional series written about a magical world from the eyes of a child as he grows up. It gets rather...dark around the third book though. That’s the first one with you in it.” She set it down and picked up the wand. “That was the one I was reading through when I found this. I’d never seen it before then and I don’t know how it got in the box with the books.”

He held out his hand. “May I?” She handed it over and watch as he inspected it carefully, turning it in his fingers. When he found the crest, his eyes widened.

“That’s my family’s crest,” she said, shifting again when he ran his thumb over it.

“I’m assuming you don’t have wands here.”

“Not that I know of. But like I said, I’m technically a muggle so if there is, I’ve never seen them.”

He hummed thoughtfully before handing it back. “Then what?”

Her face grew warm. “I, eh, shit, well, I tried to cast a few spells with it. I was just playing around a bit. It didn’t work, of course. Then it, well, it stabbed me. Splinter right in the thumb. The blood got on it and it...absorbed it.” His brows jumped up at that. “Yeah, I don’t know. I’ve never read anything on wands doing that before, but my information on that type of thing is limited. The books don’t touch on wandlore much. And me, being stupid and thinking the whole thing was just a crazy dream, I gave it more.

“After that, it started moving on its own. It went to the book. When I picked it up, it pulled me close and started to glow. Before I knew it, I was in the woods outside your cottage.”

She chanced a glance over at him, biting on her lip again when he frowned pensively at the off white wood in her hand. “So it all revolves around the wand and books then,” he murmured and took it again. “I’ve never seen one like this before. Even purebloods don’t have wands this intricate. The carvings must mean something.”

But how would they find that out? Were there books on this sort of thing? In the books, there was only one person that she knew that could identify a wand and its owner just by looking at it. Maybe… “Could we take it to Ollivander?” she asked. “He might know something about it or at least what its made of.”

“Perhaps. Though that brings the next question. How do we get back?”

“The same way I got there the first time, I guess. That thing is tied to your world so it should be able to take us back. You could Apparate us,” she said, giving the wand another sour look.

Lupin put the wand on the table and leaned back with a frustrated sigh. “It sounds to be our only option.”

Kat nodded, looking back down at her hands as she fidgeted with her fingers. A tense silence fell over them, the topic seemingly settled for the moment. It gave her mind time to start picking through things again. Connected. Something was pushing them together, some weird force that managed to cross time and space. Was it the reason she’d always liked his character so much? That drew her to his story, made him the center of so much of her art, the stories she sought out to read. It made her feel unsettled, like her free will had been plucked from her.

It didn’t help that he was showing that calm, wise side of himself that she’d read about. Maybe he really was as the books portrayed. That would mean she knew him, better than most people did in his own life. Better than he even knew himself. He was a sad, lonely, tortured soul that had the only happiness he’d managed to find ripped away during the First War. The urge to tell him everything welled up and formed a lump in her throat. She owed it to him, didn’t she? She swallowed against the lump and clenched her fingers together.

“So, you know a lot about spells, then?”

His voice pulled her from her thoughts and she looked up at him, finding him giving her a half smile. The heat returned to her face and she ducked her head again. “Eh, yeah. I guess you could say I’m a bit of a nerd for the whole universe,” she said nervously, snorting. “I researched everything religiously for years. History, lore, lists of spells, theory behind events, timelines. I wanted to be a witch when I was a kid. Boy was I disappointed when my letter never came.” She gave him a playful sneer when he laughed. “Shut up. All the muggle kids dream about it when they’re little. The thought of being able to do magic. I would wear my favorite house colors and wave sticks around at school, even when the other kids made fun of me. Even tried to play Quidditch with a broom and a kickball.”

“And what house colors did you wear?” he asked, amusement coloring his voice.

“Well, Gryffindor, of course,” she said lifting a brow and grinning. “It’s what I always wanted to be in. I was so happy when I took the official test and was sorted there.”

“Official test?”

“Yeah. The author of the series has a website where you can take a test for it. Us muggles don’t exactly have access to a Sorting Hat, you know. And I’m proud with what it picked for me!”

Lupin leaned back and hummed thoughtfully, eyeing her. “I suppose it possible you’re a lion.”

“Possible?!” she squeaked, turning fully to him and he laughed.

“I’m joking, I’m joking,” he said quickly, holding up his hands. “You would have fit in perfectly if you’d gone to school with us.”

Her jaw dropped at that, shock blanking out her mind. “Re-really?” she breathed.

His amusement turned to curiosity. “Of course. Why?”

“It’s just that...  Oh, fuck, I’m going to sound like a crazy stalker or something, but… The Marauders are sort of my favorite characters!” she blurted, covering her face with her hands. “You have no idea how amazing it is to hear that you guys might have… I don’t know, been friends with me.”

When she peaked through her fingers, she saw him blushing and shifting awkwardly in place. Oh, god. She’d ruin it. They’d been getting along finally! “I’m sorry,” she groaned, dropping her hands and moving away some. “I shouldn’t have said that. I’m so fucking stupid.”

“No, no. It’s just...odd to hear,” he mumbled, rubbing the back of his head. “Are the books well known?”

“Very. It’s the best sell young adult series in the world. Last I check, almost five-hundred-million copies sold between all seven,” she said and smiled when he paled and choked on air.

It would have been comical if he didn’t look like he was about to puke. “Bloody hell,” he whispered, leaning back and slapping a hand to his cheek.

“You’re not just one of my favorites,” she said, looking away again. “A lot of people adore you. You’re the kind, level headed, responsible member of the Marauders. Brave, loyal, and self sacrificing. The man that even with his affliction, still managed to show compassion to every person he met, even when they didn’t deserve it. And-” Her words stalled as her emotions caught up to her, sniffing as her eyes welled up a bit. “And regardless of the prejudices other people show, you deserve so much more than what you’ve been given. You deserve all the happiness in the world, Remus.”

His name came out as barely a whisper, feeling so foreign on her tongue. She’d never said it before. All the times she’d said it easily in discussions with friends, but now, it felt wrong. He was a real person, someone that she knew so well, but to him, she was a stranger. Oh, god. And she’d just said all of that! Again, he had to think she was an absolute nut. The silly crush she’d harbored for a made up character, rearing its head and turning her into an fucking idiot.

The couch moved as he shifted again and she looked up, freezing when she found him staring at her, face and eyes unreadable. “You believe all of that?” he asked, voice so quiet she could barely hear it.

“Of course!” she said quickly. “It’s true. I mean, it’s just things I’ve read but...but you’ve already shown a lot of it in the short time I’ve actually known you. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be here.”

She watched as his adam’s apple bobbed with a heavy swallow and his jaw shift, but was surprised when he managed a slight smile and took her hand. “You are truly a rare type of woman, Katherine,” he murmured, lifting her hand and pressing the back of it to his lips.

A wave of indescribable emotions hit her and she pulled her lips into her mouth to keep them from trembling. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck! Oh, god. She was done. That was it. She cared about him. He was too real now. This sweet and caring man was flesh and blood. A man that she didn’t want to die. He couldn’t die. The world would be less if he wasn’t in it.

With a determination she’d never felt before, she took his hand between hers and squeezed. “Remus.” When his eyes locked with hers again, she took a deep breath and dove forward. “I want to change things. Will you help me?”

Those deep green eyes looked back at her, shifting and swirling with more things that she couldn’t read before settling into a steely determination of his own. “Yes, of course. I’m yours,” he said, voice strong and sure.


	7. Resolution

The moment broke abruptly, both jerk apart at the shrill ring of her cell phone going off. Oh, god, that was...weird. Kat stood quickly, ignoring his bewildered look, and grabbed the phone up from her empty tv stand. An unknown number flashed on the screen, making her frown. Who in the world could be calling her? She answered it reluctance.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Kitty.”

Her stomach instantly roiled at the familiar scratchy voice. “How did you get this number?!” she demanded, putting her back to Lupin and hunching her shoulders.

“It’s not hard, babe, you know that. Though it did take a few days longer than usual. How are you enjoying your new apartment?”

It took everything in her not to throw the phone away from her. She closed her eyes and ground her teeth as a chill swept over her. Of course the bastard knew already. “That’s none of your fucking business,” she snapped. “You’re not supposed to contact me, you piece of shit!”

“Oooh, touchy. You know I don’t give two fucks about some stupid little court order.”

“You should! Just-just leave me alone!”

“C’mon, Kitty. You know you miss me.”

“Go fuck yourself, Greg!”

And with that, she hung up and slapped the phone back onto the stand. Ending it didn’t help her any. Her mind was screaming, everything locking up as that bone deep terror crept back up on her. Fuck! How had he found her that fast? This wasn’t good. Days. It had only taken him days to start his shit up again. Why wouldn’t he just leave her alone?

A hand touched her shoulder and she gasped, whirling around to freeze at the sight of Lupin. He looked tense and worried, those green eyes hard. “What’s wrong, Kat?” he asked, voice quiet with the slightest growl under it.

She deflated with a harsh exhale and put a hand to her face. “It’s-it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it,” she said weakly, moving to step around him, but he stopped her with another hand, taking her arm in a loose grip.

“That wasn’t nothing. What’s wrong?” His insistence seemed to trigger something in her and her anger flared.

“Why do you care?” she snapped, jerking her arm away. She instantly regretted her words when his eyes flickered slightly, tiny flecks of gold jumping to life. She took another deep breath and tried to calm herself. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled, wrapping her arms around herself. “That was my ex husband. He’s been harassing me ever since the divorce.”

His brows jumped up before they slammed down into one of his scary scowls. “Did he threaten you?”

“Not this time,” she said with a bitter laugh and jumped when he growled. “Look, don’t worry about it. It’s not important right now.”

“Someone trying to hurt you is important, Kat!”

“No. We have much bigger things to worry about! We need to start making plans. Please, just drop it.” His mouth pulled into a tight line, obviously fighting with himself over saying more, but nodded. She gave him a weak smile in relief. Just another thing to add to her plate.

Pushing away the lingering unease, she straightened and clapped her hands once. “Right! So, other than the whole changing the future situation, we really need to figure out this whole-” She gestured between them. “-bond thing.” The werewolf paled slightly, but nodded.

She went back and threw herself down on the sofa again. He followed slowly, suddenly stiff and uncomfortable. Kat wasn’t really sure where to start with it all, and he didn’t seem to either. Gathering up her courage, she asked, “So how much, exactly, do you know about...mates.”

“Barely anything,” Lupin answered quietly, taking up what she was quickly recognizing as his moody, pondering slouch, elbows to spread knees, interlaced fingers to his mouth. “I tried to do a bit of research and was only able to find a few passages on it. All extremely short and vague, but for a handful of lines.”

“Isn’t that just peachy,” she grumbled, leaning back and curling her knees to her chest, but kept her eyes on the side of his face. She couldn’t help but feel a flutter in her stomach when the corner of his mouth quirked up just for a second.

“Yes, peachy. There were a few things that they all agreed on though. The mark connects you to me, or, well, the wolf, really. It’s a magical connection, though I’m not sure how that works with you being a muggle. But it obviously has a physical response.”

“If you mean when it started to burn, then yeah,” she muttered, hand going to the mark unconsciously.

“It was from the strain. Since you don’t have any magic or just very small amounts, it weakened both of us. You much more so. I’m not sure what would happen if it was pulled too far, but it can’t be good. Usually if one of a fully mated pair dies, the other will pass not long after as well, but we’re not…” He stopped and cleared his throat, face turning red again. “What I mean is the connection isn’t as strong. It takes more to keep it from breaking, meaning-”

“It will kill me but only makes you a bit sick,” she finished grimacing when her stomach twisted. “I guess interdimensional travel would be pushing it.”

He nodded. “It puts a far greater strain on you as you have less reserves for it to pull on. Though, I’m sure it’s something we can work on. I really do think you’re a witch, Kat. You have to be for the bond to even form in the first place.” He paused, frowning in thought. “Perhaps we just need to start simple. We’ll check your core, make sure it’s intact and go from there.”

“Core?”

Kat had to bite her lip when he turned with a surprised gape. “You mean to tell me you don’t know what a core is?” he asked, brows pulling into an almost horrified look.

She gestured to herself with exasperation. “Muggle, Lupin. And I don’t think that type of thing is ever mentioned in the books.”

In an instant, he seemed to shift from conversation to lecture mode. He settled into a more stern expression. “Well, it’s something every first year learns in magical theory class and-” She raised a brow and he cringed. “Right. Apologies. Every witch and wizard has a magical core. It’s...a sort of well, near your heart. You can’t see it or touch it physically, but it is detectable with magic. You could consider it the source of your magic. It’s different for each person and grows and changes with you. A bit like a muscle, the more you work with magic, the stronger your core is.

“I believe that if we strengthen your core, the bond won’t be as strained. Though we should still test the distances that it can handle. I don’t think we want a repeat of yesterday.”

“Well, thanks for the mini lecture. It’s a good thing I have Professor Lupin to help me with it,” she said, tilting her head to the side with a smile. Though the smile dropped when his brows rose high enough to disappear under his hair. Ah, shit. She shouldn’t have said that!

“Professor?” he asked faintly, eyes widening.

“Eh, surprise?” she said, forcing a smile.

“You don’t mean at…”

“Hogwarts, yeah. I-I thought that had already happened, but I suppose not,” she said, rubbing her forehead. “Sorry. Well, you should be hearing from Dumbledore soon.”

Lupin leaned back with a stunned expression, staring forward blankly. “What subject?”

“Well, what were you best at in school?”

“Defense Against the Dark Arts, but- Oh, Merlin,” he groaned, hand going to his face. “I can’t do that. It’s too dangerous!”

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” she said, putting a hand on his arm. “Old Dumbly will make sure you get the Wolfsbane potion while you’re there.”

The hands dropped and he shook his head. “That doesn’t make it any better, Kat. I’m still a dang-”

“It’s also because of Sirius,” she said, cutting him off. His arm stiffened under her hand and his face paled. “Dumbledore thinks he might come after Harry and wants someone he can trust to help watch over him. But it doesn’t matter. Sirius would never do that.”

His hand grabbed hers, fingers tight enough to make her cringe. “How can you know that for sure?” he asked, voice rough.

“I told you, he’s innocent!” she said with a forceful tone. “I...I - fuck - I can’t tell you why! I want to change things for the better, but certain events still have to happen. Can you just trust me on this?” The conflict was tearing at him, his face twisting through so many emotions. “Please,” she begged.

“Fine,” he said finally, easing his grip, and leaned back with his eyes pinched closed. “As long as you can promise he won’t hurt Harry, then I’ll trust you.”

Kat heaved out a breath in relief then felt herself tense up again. He was still holding her hand. His touch was still hot, feverishly so, and it made her skin tingle. She mentally cursed herself when her heartbeat sped up at the contact. Damnit. No. No! She could not be attracted to him! Whether it was just something that came from the bond or the fact that he was handsome, it was only something that would complicate things. Keep it friendly. Act like he was a-a roommate.

She forced herself to relax and quickly changed the subject. “So, what else did your reading say?”

Lupin sighed, eyes opening again, but only to stare up at the ceiling. “Unfortunately, nothing past more specifics on the bond. Nothing on how to...reverse it.”

She stiffened as the last words hit her like a truck. Fuck! She’d...she’d never even thought of that. Was that even possible? She’d never read anything on bonds of any sort outside of fan made stories. How did they even work? Her mind spun as her thoughts boiled up, frantically trying to make sense of everything. It was pointless though. She knew nothing of his world, the intricacies of how magic actually worked, the culture, any of it. Just second hand information from the view of a muggle raised boy that was focused on other things.

But the real question was, what would happen if the bond was removed? It was what tied her to him, to the world of magic. Would she still be able to stay? Should she even stay if she could? What right did she have to meddle in their destiny, to try and change things so that a few lives were saved? None, in truth. She didn’t mean anything to him, to his world.

She was just some random woman that was thrown into his life, that he was tied to against his will. One that he felt responsible to help because of his chivalric personality or some sense of guilt. Guilt that his affliction was once again causing harm to another. The stupid, self sacrificing man.

Kat pulled her hand from his and curled up again, pressing her forehead to her knees. God, she was such a fucking idiot! Letting herself get swept up into the adventure, the magic of it all. How exciting, right? Mysteriously swept off to a land she’d only read about, tied to one of her favorite characters, the only one that knew the future, that could save his life. Like she was some fancy heroine. But no. She was just Kat Jones. A neurotic mess that made a living doing art work of fictional characters for other people. Someone that hid behind her drawings and video games, trying to escape her life as best she could. A pathetic creature.

“Katherine?”

The gentle utterance of her name made her cringe. God, she’d ruined it all, ruined him. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, pulling her lips tight when they quivered. “This is all my fault.”

“What are you-” Lupin asked softly, but she cut him off.

“You should leave! Just-just take the wand and go back. Forget this ever happened.”

“You know I can’t do that. It would kill you!”

“Then let me fucking die!” she snapped, lifting her head and glaring at him through watery eyes. “I take back what I said before. I don’t want to change things. I  _ shouldn’t _ ! It’s my fault for even touching the damn thing in the first place, that you got stuck to me! I won’t be selfish and chance my existence ruining everything!”

Lupin seemed stunned at her outburst, silent and face pulled into a frown. She put her face against her knees again, biting down the sobs that pushed at her lungs. She prayed that he would listen. That he would realize just how big the scope of this all was and just let her die.

That didn’t happen though. No. She felt the couch shift and stiffened at the sudden warmth of his body heat as he moved close. Gentle hands pried one hers from her knees and held it.

“I won’t let you die because of-of this bloody curse!”

She shook her head and tried to tug her hand away, but he held fast. “I’m just a stranger, Lupin. Sacrifice one for the many,” she muttered, blinking away tears. “I won’t be the burden that ruins it all. You’re too important to everything to have me dragging you down.”

“It’s too late for that,” he urged and she flinched when she felt his breath on the side of her face. “You said it yourself. Things have already changed. You need to be there to make sure it goes the way it’s supposed to, Kat. You’re the only one that can do that!”

“We don’t know that it’s changed,” she uttered weakly. “It’s better this way.”

“Then I’ll just take the books and do it myself.”

Her head flew up so fast her neck popped. Panic and anger flared to life in her chest. “Don’t you dare!” Kat hissed. “You can’t know what’s in those!”

“Then you have to come with me!” Lupin said hotly, the gold in his eyes flickering about. “You can’t just ignore all of this. It’s your duty now.”

“My duty?” she shouted, straightening up and turning to face him. “Goddamnit, I can’t do it! I know if I go back, when things start to happen, I won’t be able to just sit back and not do something! So many people die…” She trailed off, closing her eyes and pulling on her hand again.

“Then change it! Save them! Or is it because we’re  _ not real _ ?”

His words hurt. Oh, god, did they hurt. Guilt well up and the pressure of it made her sick. No, they were real to her. She cared for all of them, even though she didn’t know them, had only read. “Of course you’re real!” she cried out.

“Then help me, Kat. You were sent for a reason. This has to be it.”

God, he made so much sense. Could he be right? Could she really have been sent to that spot, to him, just to change things? She had to find out. He was right. She couldn’t just let this go. “Fine!” she blurted, ducking her head and putting her free hand over her face. “I-I don’t…” She pulled in a shuddering breath. “I don’t understand any of this, but okay, Lupin…”

“Remus.”

Her hand dropped and she looked up, blinking back more tears at the surprising understanding look on his face. “What?”

“If we’re going to be working together, you should at least call me Remus,” he said, mouth twisting, and dropped his eyes to his hands clasped around hers. “I know this is...overwhelming. But-” His eyes returned to hers, dark and swimming with more gold than green, searching for something. “As much as I hate saying it, fate has made a choice. We’ll see whatever this is through.”

A laugh ripped from her lips and she shook her head. “This is fucking insane,” she muttered dryly. “I never took you for someone to believe in that shit.”

“I don’t, well, didn’t.” His lips quirked at the corners and he leaned a bit closer. She felt a shiver pass through when she felt his breath again. “I also never thought I’d end up here, bonded to a woman that knows my future. It changes things.”

One of his hands came up and lightly touched a part of the mark that peeked out from the collar of her shirt. The reaction was immediate, sending a flash of heat through her and making her eyes roll back. Before she knew it, she was pushed up against the arm of the sofa with his weight on her, a hand on her waist, the other pulling her shirt to the side, and his face pressed to the mark. The contact had her muscles going lax and her nerves singing. Oh, holy shit. The feel of his nose and lips, the tickle of whiskers was amazing, sending her heartbeat to a gallop and the heat pooling south.

Kat bit back a groan as his chest rumbled with a low growl, nuzzling his face in and breathing deeply. Was this the wolf? It had to be. She let her head roll back to give him more access, shuddering at the pleased sound he made in return. Yeah, wolf. It must be drawn to the mark. God, how was it such a turn on, having him sniff at her like some mad man? Fuck, but it felt good. Though a faint thought made her stiffen slightly. He wasn’t in control. Remus Lupin couldn’t be attracted to her, a random stranger. It left a bitter taste in her mouth, but she remained still, letting the wolf do what it needed.

After a minute, he froze against her, breath suddenly coming out in sharp bursts against her skin, then ripped himself free. No, he practically threw himself off, jumping to his feet and backing away until his back hit a wall with a bright red face. She stayed slumped, watching him cover his face and hunch over, just as surprised.

“Wha-what was that?” she squeaked and swallowed to wet her suddenly dry mouth.

The man cursed and shoved his hands up through his hair. “I lost control,” he said hoarsely, eyes averted. “I - shite, I’m sorry. I don’t know how I managed to. He just…”

“I’m not exactly complaining,” she said faintly and sat up with a faint laugh. “Just a bit surprised.”

His face paled and mouth dropped open. “Are you mad? Bloody hell, this isn’t good. You aren’t safe around me! I-”

Kat blinked then frowned. “Okay, are  _ you _ mad?” she said mockingly, standing and going up to him. He sucked in a breath and tried to move away, but she blocked him. “The wolf picked me, didn’t it? Why the fuck would I be unsafe around you? Unless there’s something else.” Silence was her answer. He looked away, jaw clenched so hard she saw the muscles jump in his cheek. Her temper flared. “Remus Lupin,” she hissed lowly, getting closer. “What are you keeping from me?”

Lupin shook his head and tried to push past her, but she grabbed his arm. “It’s nothing!” he growled, head snapping to her, eyes dark behind moving gold and narrowed.

“Bullshit! The wolf wants something. What is it?”

Something in him snapped. His hands were on her shoulders, pushing her back into the wall and leaning down. “You know what it wants,” he growled, voice deep and gravely. It made her shiver.

“Then say it,” she dared, scowling up at him.

His face twisted and turned, the gold flecks in his eyes shifting before flashing fully gold. She kept staring up at him stubbornly, not letting the wolf inside cow her. At last, he managed in that same low throaty rumble as the night of the moon, “To take. To claim. You’re not fully mine yet, bitch.”

Kat blinked dumbly, mind turning to a pile of mush at the sheer ferality the tone. Even if the words were obviously not his, she couldn’t help but feel a bit pleased. Well, pleased and a hint embarrassed at the slew of dirty thoughts rushing to her head. There was nothing quite like a good looking man telling you he wanted to ‘take you’ to make a girl giddy. Better yet, a wolf man that would most likely ravage her senseless.

The question was, did she want to? It didn’t even take a second for her to decide. Yes. Very much a yes. She’d had more than her fair share of casual sex. But this was the ever noble Remus Lupin. He’d rather chop an arm off than jump a lady just because his lycanthropic instincts screamed for it.

She let out a shaky breath, lifted a hand, and gently patted his cheek. “Gotcha, Moony. You’re a horny bastard. Now, calm down and let Remus back.”

Her casual words seem to work. It was oddly entrancing to watch the gold slowly fade away, showing the deep green again. Thought she did feel a bit bad when his face slackened in horror, skin paling again before flushing a bright red. She grabbed a handful of his shirt when he started to pull away, keeping him place.

“Don’t,” she said firmly, “Let’s be adults about this.”

He turned an even darker shade of red and jerked his eyes away from her face. “Kat, I-”

“I’m going to stop you before you say anything else,” she snapped, leaning to try and catch his gaze. “I’m a fully grown adult woman. One that has slept with more men than you could probably handle with your uptight mind. Casually and seriously.  Your furry side wants me. Fine. I know it won’t happen, not with the type of person you are. Just know that I wouldn’t be opposed to...anything more. You’re a very attractive man, Remus. So, this is all up to you and what you want to do.” She paused, then added, “Though if you keep up the whole aggressive, sexy growling thing, I can’t promise I won’t jump you myself.”

And with that, she nudged him back, and slowly made her way to her room. As soon as the door was closed, she slumped against it and slid to the ground. Oh, holy fuck. Did she really just do that? She just told the man she wanted to fuck him! WHY DID SHE DO THAT? Son of a bitch! Just minutes ago, she was panicking and tell him to kill her and then she dropped that fucking bomb. Right, it was official. She had lost her goddamn mind. It didn’t matter though. Too late to take it back. Hopefully he would be so scandalized from it that he would just act like it didn’t happen. Yeah. He would do that.

Kat rubbed her face roughly and stood up with a huff. She would just do the same. Nothing happened. She gave herself a shake and put her hands on her hips. There were more important things to do. If she was going back, she would need to prepare. She looked at the various bags laying around, still filled with clothes and frowned. Maybe she should unpack first. A bit hard to pack properly if she didn’t know where anything was.

Putting the earlier conversation from her mind, she pulled her tangled hair back into a short tail, and started. Dresses and blouses hung, pants and pajamas folded and tucked away, then the bras and underwear. Soon, there was nothing left but a single old steamer trunk. Oh, wow. She hadn’t touched it in years. She sat down in front of it, running her hand over the beat up surface, smiling wistfully. It held a lot of good memories. With gentle fingers, she popped the latches and lifted the lid, breathing deeply as the rich scent of leather and oil wafted out.

On the very top laid her yellow and blue leather jerkin, still in perfect condition. She ran her fingers over the stiff material, sighing and grinning widely. Her family colors, just as her dad had wanted. She lifted it and set it to the side, then pulled out the leather and cloth wrapped length beneath. Hopefully it wasn’t rusted. She stood, laid it on the bed, and picked apart the knotted cords holding everything closed. Her breath left her once they fell apart, revealing her baby.

The scabbard and hilt were still a rich dark brown, the leather expertly polished and oiled. She lifted it up and pulled the sword free, groaning in glee as it slid free with a light metallic noise. It was perfect! The blade glinted beautifully in the light, the engraved family crest and Welsh words along the fuller dark silver and easy to see against the Damascus steel patterns. God, how she missed this. She dropped the scabbard to the ground and took the grip in both hands, reveling in the solid weight.

Memories rushed up at the feel and her feet shifted into a ready stance without even thinking. Giving in to the need, she lunged forward with a fast strike, pulled back with a deflecting cross, another strike, parry, and back to start. Her muscles sang at the action, suddenly waking as if from a long sleep. Kat laughed and went again, repeating the moves.

Unfortunately, she was so caught up, she didn’t hear the soft knock on her door. She moved to the next set, grabbing the strong and lunging for a jab, pulled back, slashed, and pirouetted for one last strike, but screamed and stopped at the last second as the door opened. The blade just barely missed the surprised face of a certain werewolf who managed to jerk back.

“Bloody fucking hell, woman! What are you doing?” Remus shouted, stumbling back and hitting the wall.

Kat dropped the sword and rushed to him, panting. “I’m sorry!” she yelped. “Goddamnit, don’t surprise me like that! Second time now, you idiot!”

He let out a shocked laugh, slapping a hand to his cheek and shaking his head. “Wa-was that a sword?”

She sighed and nodded, pushing her bangs from her face. “Yes, it was. A sharpened one, I might add. You really need to work on being louder…”

“I wasn’t expecting someone to be swinging a sodding sword around!” he shot back, following her into the room when she turned and picked the sword back up. “Do I even want to ask why you have one, much less know how to use one?”

“I might tell you the story later,” she said dryly, expertly twirling it in one hand before shoving it back into the sheath.

“Right…” he muttered, eyeing the open trunk curiously. “You are a very odd woman, Kat.”

“I’m an enigma, remember?” she quipped back and gave him a wink.


	8. Background

“Is all of this really necessary?”

“Yes. Unless you want me to go insane while I’m there.”

“Er, no, no. Just-just let me know once you have everything here.”

Kat huffed and dropped a duffle bag on the growing pile of luggage. The man was already starting to annoy her, but she pushed the feeling away. She had no room to talk, not after the earlier incident. The one that Remus was acting like never happened, just like she thought. It was her own fault. She shouldn’t have pushed him like that.

She bit down another sigh and went to her box of records, kneeling down to thumb through the albums. Without much help from the werewolf, she’d made a list of things she thought would be best to bring. Clothes, of course, but other things to keep her preoccupied in a world where electronics weren’t an option. The old cottage didn’t have modern wiring. Too much ambient magic would short circuit almost anything, he’d told her. So cellphones, laptops, or any handheld gaming devices were out. That left her with books, art, and records to keep her preoccupied.

Then there was the argument over food. She knew he didn’t have much money, if any at all, due to his inability to find jobs. And she had a huge settlement from her divorce. More money then she knew what to do with and it would last her years without working easily. The joys of divorcing a well off code monkey. She wanted to use that to buy enough food to last them months. But Remus’ pride wouldn’t allow him to accept such a thing. At least, until she had opened up her bank account and shown him just how much there was. Then pushed him into it with a mixture of puppy dog eyes and hints at how good she was at cooking with decent spices.

So, there it all sat. Twenty bags of groceries from the huge international market nearby, two duffle bags of clothes and toiletries, a box stuffed full of books and art supplies, another with her records, and her steamer trunk. Kat dusted her hands off and gave him a nod.

“I think this’ll do. We can always come back for more food when we get low. Now, do you think you’re comfortable with my wand yet?”

Remus held out the off white wood and turned it in his fingers. “I reckon so,” he muttered. “Best give it a try.”

With precise hand movements, he tapped the top of each thing, then shrunk most of it down, and tucked some in his pockets. She threw the duffels bags over her shoulders, grabbed one end of the steamer trunk, and took his offered arm. A sudden fit of nerves struck her and she took a deep breath.

“Remember. Try to relax. It helps with the queasiness you get from Apparating,” he reminded softly, giving her a slight smile when she looked up.

“Right… Relax,” she grumbled and pinched her eyes closed.

She felt him pull her close, start to turn in place, then hissed out a breath as everything started to squeeze in on her. It was the same as the other times she’d been pulled from one world to the other, like being dragged through a silly straw. Then it abruptly stopped, leaving her stumbling forward and bumping right into Remus. He steadied her with a chuckle.

“All right?” he asked, lifting a brow when she grimace and held her stomach.

“Yeah, yeah. No puking.” She turned her eyes around and grinned despite her flipping insides. They were just outside the cottage, surrounded by the forest. It was odd, now that she listened. It was different from the summers in America. No scream of cicadas, crickets, or bullfrogs. Just the singing of songbirds and trees rustling in the breeze. She lifted her head and breathed deeply, enjoying the new scents and freshness of it all.

Kat was jolted from her moment when Remus let go of her arm and started for the cottage, leaving her with the bigger things to carry. She huffed and grabbed up the magically lightened trunk then hurried after. By the time she reached him, he’d already taken down the barrier and was inside. She dropped her things down beside the door and closed it while looking around. Everything seemed in the same places as before.

“How long was I gone?” she asked, watching as he pulled everything from his pockets and returned them to full size.

“A few days,” he answered and began to put food away.

“Really?” she squeaked. “Shit, it was only a day for me. I thought...damnit, I thought the times matched up.” She dropped into a chair at the table and leaned an arm on it, watching the man thoughtfully. “So…” she drawled, tapping her fingers, “How are we approaching all of this?”

Remus paused with a bag of pasta in his hand and a frown on his face. “What do you mean?”

“I mean everything. We want to change things, but how are we going to do that? My muggle status will make it really hard for me to stay with you. Since I can’t really be too far with the whole bond thing.”

“I’ve already told you, you aren’t a muggle, Kat,” he said tersely and shoved the last item away into a cabinet.

“And I told you I don’t believe you.”

He heaved out a sigh and leaned against the counter, crossing his arms and giving her a level stare. “I plan on reaching out to an old friend, one that is an expert on cores. I want him to have a look at yours to see if there isn’t anything wrong with it.”

“And what are you going to tell him? Not the truth, I hope.”

“Of course not.”

“Then I’ll need a cover story. Why would a random American woman with no ability to do magic be here, living with you?” He started to answer, but stopped and closed his mouth with a click. Kat leaned her cheek against her hand and gave him a smug smile. “That’s what I thought. Cover - story, my good sir. I’ll need a good one.”

“What do you suggest then?” he asked grumpily.

“You tell me. You’re the smart one.” At his narrowed eyes, she let out a sigh of her own. “Fine. I have one idea.”

“Do tell.”

She tapped her nails on the wood a bit more, chewing on the inside of her cheek before finally saying, “It was by chance,” she said, keeping her eyes on her fingers. “We met while you were overseas looking at a potential cure. It fell through, unfortunately, but we met by accident at a coffee shop just before you went back. We became friends over a shared interest in books and my odd excitement over fantasy and magic. We’ve been keeping contact with letters for a few years. I came to the UK for business recently and we met up. That’s when you saw me do accidental magic. Since that’s unheard of in an adult, it worried you. You told me about magic and convinced me to stay so you could figure out what might be happening to me.”

There was silence when she finished. Silence that dragged on for a solid minute before she looked up. He stared at her with narrow eyes, but he was rubbing his chin thoughtfully. After another minute, he finally said, “That’s...surprisingly brilliant.”

“Surprisingly?” she snapped, her pride wounded at his comment.

He held up his hands and grimaced. “I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just very well thought out. When did you have time to come up with it?”

Kat shrugged, running her finger over a knot in the table. “I’ve just been thinking on it while I packed. It works without you getting in trouble.” She held up a finger. “You aren’t breaking the Statuet of Secrecy because I was obviously showing signs of magic.” Another finger. “It explains why I don’t know very much about magic and why I can’t use.” A third finger. “Why I know about your past and other people that I’ll eventually meet.” A fourth finger. “And why you would feel the need to keep me with you. You can’t just leave someone with unstable magic by themselves, much less a friend you care about.”

A slow smile pulled at his lips and he shook his head, sitting down opposite of her at the table. “That’s very thorough,” he said quietly and leaned back.

“I’m a thorough person,” she said, wrinkling her nose and grinning. “Like I said. I’m a bit of a nerd when it comes to this world. Though I’m not sure how well that will hold up later.”

“Why is that?”

“Well, Dumbledore will be paying you a visit sometime soon. What are we going to do when you go to Hogwarts to teach? I have to stay with you.” She took his frown as answer enough. “Have you ever seen or heard of a professor bringing anyone to live with them at the castle?” she asked.

“No, never,” he said, eyes closing and face pulling into a deeper frown. “I know a few professors had spouses, but they lived off grounds and flooed in each day.”

Damnit. She’d been hoping they could just fake an engagement or something to get her in. Kat frowned as well and picked through her mind for more options. She couldn’t get a position there, not without Dumbledore hiring her. Not that she would be suitable for anything in the first place. She didn’t know enough about MACUSA to pull off being an official from there, much less get the paperwork required. Teacher’s aid? No. Family member would fall under the same category of spouses, most likely. Foreign researcher? Stupid. Shit!

There was only one way she could see it working at all and that was if they told Dumbledore everything. He would easily be able to find a reason for her to be there and to keep any suspicion away. But she didn’t want him to know, damnit! He could use Legilimency and wouldn’t have any trouble pulling everything from her head. Something she wanted to avoid at all costs.

“We will have to tell Dumbledore, Kat.”

Kat looked up and scowled. It was like he was a mind reader. “No,” she said flatly and pushed a handful of curls out of her face. “It’s too dangerous for him to know.”

Remus sighed and leaned forward, propping his elbows on the table. “I know that you don’t like the idea, but just think about it. He has more knowledge and connections than I do. He would be the best option to find how you got here, why you were even sent in the first place. And even if we didn’t tell him, he would find out eventually if you are to stay involved with Harry.”

“Unless you can teach me Occlumency, it’s a no, Remus. He would want to know everything and could take it from me even if I told him no. The man is a powerful Legilimens.”

His brows jumped up in surprise. “You believe he would force it from you?”

“If it meant stopping Voldemort from ever coming back, yes,” she said, rubbing her forehead. “There is no black and white in war. Even the best of people do bad things when it’s necessary.”

A certain darkness overtook Remus’ face, eyes growing haunted. “Yes… I’ve seen much of it,” he muttered, shoulder slumping. “Do you really think it possible to stop him from returning?”

“I don’t know. There’s two key people that brought it about. One that I know we can catch, the other...well, I have no clue where he is. Even if we managed to catch the one, the other would slip away. It might delay it, but I can’t say it would stop it from happening. There are a lot of Death Eaters out there that didn’t get captured and would be more than willing to help, especially since it would get them his favor.”

Kat stood, went to one of her boxes, and dug out a notebook and pencil. “There’s a few people that I know could help,” she said, sitting back down. “Macnair for sure. I believe he’s working at the Ministry right now.” She scribbled down the name and tapped her pencil in thought before writing down more. “Any of the Averys, the Carrows, the Notts, Crabbe, Goyle, Travers, Wilkes, Yaxley, and Mulciber. I think there’s at least one Rosier left since Evan was killed…”

“Merlin.” She lifted her head, blinking at the bewildered expression on Remus’ face.

“What?” she asked, lifting a brow.

“I just-” He ran a hand through his hair and blew out his cheeks. “You know all of that?”

She rolled her eyes and nodded. “I wasn’t exaggerating when I said I read through everything I could find. There isn’t much on the First War other than a few mentions of notable deaths, but I do know a lot of his more loyal followers. Ones that will go back to him once he is revived.”

Remus nodded, eyes locked onto the notebook. “It’s a good place to start, but…” He pulled it over and flipped it closed. “Not something we should worry about just yet.” At her confused look, he drummed his fingers, suddenly looking a big bashful. “If we’re going to use your idea, it might be best if you told me about yourself.”

Kat blinked and leaned back. Well, he did have a point. If they were going to pull off being old, long distance friends, he would need to know more about her. Her lips pursed as she considered where to start. “Well… My name is Katherine Fay Jones,” she drawled, laughing at his flat look. “I was born on February twenty-ninth, 1988.”

“Twenty-ninth?” he asked, a single brow popping up.

“Leap year,” she said with a grin. “Technically, that would only make me...seven, I think, if you only count my actual birthday. Much better than thirty.” He laughed at her grumble.

“You don’t look it.”

“Hmm, nice attempt at flattery,” she said dryly, glancing at the clock. It was getting late. Time to make some dinner. She stood and went to the larder, digging through and pulling out some items. “I grew up in the wonderful rural farm areas of Ohio, with my mom, dad, and younger brother. Ken and Patsy are my parents, Danny is my brother.”

Remus hummed, leaning his head on his hand and watching her as she filled a few pots with water. “What are you doing?”

“Making you something I know you’ve never had before,” she said teasingly, setting the water to boil. “Now, my childhood was pretty average and boring. Parents both worked average jobs, we had an average house, and I went through my school years with average grades. Though I spent most of my time drawing and painting. I ended up going to an art college once I was eighteen, much to my dad’s frustration.” Her mouth pulled tight at the memory. Oh, how mad he’d been. Screaming and shouting, lots of crying on her end.

She paused, pulling out the box of spices and herbs she’d brought, and picked out what she needed. “Moved to a big city for the first time. Chicago. It was a bit of a culture shock for me.” Kat sighed, leaning against the counter and stirring in the bouillon cubes and spices into the water. “Spent most of my college days partying and sleeping around, like any innocent farm girl does once she gets a taste of freedom.” Soy sauce, mirin, and sesame oil was added to a small saucepan, set to come to a low boil. Next she laid out a cut of beef flank and started slicing it into thin pieces, keeping up with her story. “It surprises people how the nerdy and geeky people tend to be more open to sex than ‘normal’ people. I saw too many orgies to count.”

That pulled a choked cough from the werewolf and she looked up to find him wide eyes and red in the face. At her look, he drew his lips into his mouth and turned his eyes to the ceiling. Kay couldn’t help but laugh at that. God, he was so fucking easy to fluster. She turned back to the stove and tasted the broth. Perfect. Last were the noodles. Once those were in boiling water, she leaned against the counter again.

“Anyhow, even with all my romping, I did end up graduating five years later. Got a job at an animation studio right off the bat. Though I was charmed into a relationship with my boss. I was head over heels for him. Older, smooth talking, smart. I had to quit a year later when HR found out about it. We got married not long after.”

She checked the noodles, pulled down some bowls, and started putting everything together. Slices of meat, a handful of corn, noodles, a ladle of base, another of broth, top with a square of nori. She put a bowl before Remus, ignoring his thoughtful squint, took her own, and sat, staring into the broth with a frown.

Trying to break the tense silence, he cleared his throat and asked, “So, what exactly is this?”

“Ramen,” she answered, picking up her fork and stirring the noodles until the meat surfaced, fully cooked from the hot liquid. “And no that cheap instant stuff. It’s not quite from scratch, but still good. I wish I’d brought chopsticks though,” she grumbled the last part, pulling a face when a noodle slipped off her fork. At his confused look, she managed a slight smile. “It’s a Japanese dish. You’re supposed to eat it with chopsticks.”

He took a cautious taste and hummed happily. “It’s delicious,” he said, glancing up with that thoughtful look still on his face. It made her squirm. “How did you learn to make this?”

“That-” she said flatly, stabbing a piece of meat roughly, “-brings me to the next part. I ended up getting a job at a restaurant that my old roommate owned after I quit at the studio. Culinary major. Specialized in asian style foods. I was good in the kitchen, considering I had no formal training. Within the year, I was head chef and kitchen manager.”

“And your husband?”

“Hmm. Well, you know how it ended,” she said bitterly, twirling her fork absently. “It was good for the first two years. But eventually, he wanted to start a family. Have a kid, ya know?” She didn’t wait for an answer. “We tried for a year with no luck. Spent another year going to fertility specialists with even less luck. That’s when it got bad. He started blaming things for it. Stress, I work too much, racist comments like the asian food had made me sterile. Stupid things.”

Kat could feel his eyes burning into the top of her head, but refused to look up. She wasn’t sure why she was telling him this. It wasn’t like he needed details but...it felt good to say it. Only her family knew what had really happened. Not that she had any friends left to tell. Greg had taken care of that years ago.

The scented steam from her bowl helped soothe her mind as she gathered her thoughts. “I was still very much in love with him. I really thought I was the one at fault. So I quit my job. Did everything he asked. Turned into a good little housewife. It didn’t help any. The fights got worse. I ended up leaving and stayed with my parents. A few months of him begging for me to come back and me giving him time to fix himself. Off and on, off and on. Until I had enough and told him to leave me alone for good.” God, how hard it had been. The guilt, the pain. She was an idiot to believe anything he’d said. But she just couldn’t help it then.

“Then last year, he seemed to just...break. Began to sabotage my accounts, stalking, sending threats and blackmailing my friends to leave me alone. All during the time I was trying to divorce completely.” She stabbed her last piece of meat and dragged it along the side of the bowl. “And that’s about it,” she ended, tightening her mouth at the emotions churning in her chest.

Remus didn’t say anything. She peeked up and found him copying her position. Hunched over his bowl, just moving the noodles about and glaring at it. Kat sighed and returned to her food, only picking at it with her appetite gone now. But his quiet voice made her look back up.

“Do you still make art?” he asked, twirling his fork.

She blinked at the question then smiled slightly. “Yeah. I do commissions, actually. You could call it a job. I do a variety of things, but mostly characters from fiction. This world is a bit of a specialty.”

He raised a brow at that, a smile of his own tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I’m afraid to ask for a look.”

Kat laughed and took a bite, the change in topic easing her mood a bit. “I can tell you that they probably won’t look like the actual people. The books just give rough descriptions of everyone so it left a lot of room for interpretation.”

“Hm, well, perhaps I would like to see then. Find out just how off they are,” he said with a full smile.

She drummed her fingers before picking up her bowl and gulping down a mouthful of broth. “I can’t show you much. Most of them are digital, but I did bring a few of my sketchbooks.” Thank god most of her more...amorous works were on her computer. She couldn’t imagine the embarrassment if he saw any of that shit. Like the occasional wolfstar commission.

Wait. Holy shit, what if that was a real thing? Was he bi? He obviously liked woman enough for all of that to have happened before. Oh, god. She hadn’t even thought of that. Kat ducked her head and bit her lip, trying hard not to blurt the question out. His sexual preference wasn’t her business.

“Then I would love to see your work.”

“Maybe tomorrow,” she said with as even of a tone as she could. “I’ll have to go through them first. Make sure there isn’t something in there that you shouldn’t see.”

He nodded, downing the last bit of his food. “Of course,” he mumbled, wiping his mouth and standing. “I have to go check the wards. Feel free to-” He absently gestured to the open space of the living room. “-do whatever you want with your things. I’ll return in an hour or so.”

Kat watched him leave, flashing a weak smile when he glanced back before pulling the door closed behind him. Her breath left her lungs in a loud rush and she leaned on the table, frowning at her food. Again, things were catching up to her. The sheer scope of it was just too much. Now she had to straddle the fine line of what was cannon, fan made, and what was actually  _ real _ here. It left her feeling more uncertain, less sure of what was actually going to happen.

She huffed out another breath and stood. It just meant she’d have to pay more attention, get more details. More awkward conversations with Remus. The thought made her cringe. It really had been stupid of her to just drop so much about her failure of a marriage. God, what he must think of her now. And she had to live with him for god knew how long from this point on.

Pushing away the thoughts, she gathered up all the dirty dishes and started the tap. She chewed on the inside of her cheek as she ran her fingers through the water as it warmed. In the end, it didn’t matter. They had a job to do. Lives to save, a bond to get rid of, and Dumbledore to deal with. All in good time.


	9. Nostalgia

It was odd stepping in the front door and realizing there was another person there. Something he’d never thought to feel again. Remus stepped into the old cottage, breathing in deeply and arching his back to relieve some of the tension in his muscles. It felt the same, but also different. It was no longer dusty and bare, abandoned after his father had fled the place, leaving all the painful memories behind with the death of his mother. But now it felt odd because it was lived in. There were books, records, sketchpads, shoe boxes filled with pencils and pens, and odds and end from the forest scattered about. A set of leather armour and a well cared for sword were stacked in another corner beside the door. Everything strange, but something he was quickly getting used to.

The phonograph was turning away, a low synthetic, funky beat pumping out at a soft volume. Something from the future, but sounding like it was straight out of the 70’s. He could almost hear the dry amused tone Kat had used when he’d asked her about it last week.

_ “You wouldn’t know who they are. Daft Punk won’t release their first album for another four years.  But I  _ do  have _ every single album. Though, if you like this, I have a lot of other groups that are similar. Let me just...” _

It had ended in a two hour, smoke filled lecture on the differences between the many electronic music branches. Remus had never thought he would enjoy such a thing, but it reminded him so much of his late school days. The four friends, laying around in their dorm, passing a joint around, and discussing how ELO was much better than Steve Miller. He could easily imagine Kat and Sirius debating how synth was the future of music.

Now, coming home after a day of stocking shelves, he was surprised with how he found her. Kat was on the ground before the phonograph, books, papers, pens, and quills surrounding her in a rough circle. Her short curls were pulled into a tail and jammed full of quills; the feathers swaying as she bobbed her head to the music. A pencil was clenched between her teeth, another in her hand that was scribbling furiously over parchment. The list on the page was already long and growing by the second. He’d never seen someone with such fervent urgency. Not even panicking seventh years trying to revise before NEWTs.

Katherine Jones. His enigma. He didn’t understand her. Couldn’t understand her. She was strange, to put it simply. Loud, passionate, crass, and blunt to the point of painful. But she was also vastly intelligent, methodical, and precise. A confusing mixture of personality traits that were overlaid with an overwhelming goodness.

It made everything more difficult because she was painfully attractive. She might not have caught the eyes of men just by walking past, but to him… He couldn’t say what it was exactly, but he felt his eyes drawn to her. Hair, a shade of brown so dark that it was black, that would have curled to frame her round cheeks if it hadn’t been pulled up. Short and petite in all features with an almost permanently pouting mouth, a small upturned nose, and eyes that seemed too big for her face. If she’d looked up, he was sure they would have looked like molten caramel in the light; the amber, chocolate, and flecks of gold all mixing together. Eyes that had looked so sad when she’d told him her life. He kept seeing them when he closed his own.

Remus quietly stepped in, dropped into an armchair, and sighed heavily, rubbing wearily at his eyes. When he opened them again, she was still working, oblivious to his entrance. He could see names, ones that made his brows raise. Lines connecting names to locations, spells, dates, more names. A wide branching web of circles and words, chaotic in view, but well planned. A level of planning that impressed and worried him.

After a few minutes, the record finished and the sound of the needle skipping over the label broke the air. Kat’s head popped up, eyes landing on him. She blinked hazily and frowned, sitting up straight from her hunch.

“What are you doing home already?” she asked after removing the pencil from her mouth.

He shrugged tiredly, fighting against the growing headache behind his eyes. The full moon was in two days. Everything was starting to ache and his senses, stronger than a normal person’s on an average day, had doubled. Being here was making it better, but also worse. There weren’t dozens of people walking about, their scents mixing with all the food and other things. No, it was just Kat, and her scent was by far the hardest to ignore.

It was that damn mark the wolf left on her. The pink outline of his hand on her shoulder had done something to change her scent. Her natural one was there, but it was covered by something that seemed to be a mix of everything he found appealing. Chocolate, books, wood smoke, rain, a forest. It changed, but it was always something that made him crave her. It was driving him bloody mad.

Kat stood, grumbling and rubbing her back as she did, and stepped over. He didn’t even have the energy to pull away when her fingers brushed his fringe back and pressed to his forehead. The contact instantly made his skin tingle and the wolf jump to life, but he pushed it back, locking it up tight in a mental cage. “Mmm, you’re warmer than normal, which is saying something when you’re always a furnace. Let me guess, the full moon is soon, right?”

Remus let his eyes close again with a grimace, her tone just a bit too much. “It’s nothing to worry about,” he said quietly, keeping his voice low for his own ears’ sake.

Having picked up on his discomfort, she asked quietly, “Is there anything I can get you that would help?”

He leaned into her touched, not caring that it was a bad idea as his exhaustion grew stronger. What did he want? Comfort and sleep. He wanted to stay right where he was, with her hand running through his hair, and sleep. Or better yet, to have her in his lap and just hold her. Her scent alone was easing his erratic nerves.

When he didn’t answer, she pulled her hand away and made a clicking noise with her tongue. “If you don’t answer me, I’ll make the stinkiest thing possible for dinner.”

Merlin, that was the last thing he needed right now. He cracked an eye and peeked up to find her staring at him with an arched brow and a slight frown. “Katherine, you don’t need to do-”

“No, don’t start that! I don’t know jack shit about what werewolves want. If I’m here, I’m going to help. So, just fucking tell me what I can do,” she whispered heatedly, fists going to her hips.

A sigh escaped him. Again with this. She was so set on taking care of him. While it was wonderful to have someone put so much effort into him, it was unnerving. Partly because of who she was, but also due to the memories it stirred up. Bittersweet and hard to swallow.

His mouth opened before he really thought about it. “Red meat.” He cringed at how raspy his voice was. Worse than he’d thought. “Any kind really. It...helps calm him.”

“Blue or rare?” He frowned in confusion at her question and she rolled her eyes. “I pulled some steak out this morning. Do you want yours blue or rare?”

“Er, blue meat?”

“Oh, god. Do you know anything about cooking, Lupin?” Kat snorted, leaning back on her heels. “Fuck, okay. How close do you want your meat to mooing? Better?”

Remus couldn’t help but laugh. She had the most entertaining way of wording things. “As close to mooing as possible,” he answered, shaking his head when she winked and went off to the kitchen.

With her gone, he let his eyes close again and sank further into the chair. It felt amazing to just relax and listen to Kat clatter behind him. Over the sound of pots and pans, he could make out the soft crooning of big band music on the phonograph, replacing the earlier electronic music and at a much quieter volume. He hadn’t even noticed her changing it. Again, he swallowed down the slight feelings that fluttered up over her efforts to make him comfortable. She was just being kind, easing the still awkward situation of them living together. Taking care of...a fictional character.

The thought flared up too fast to stop and his stomach twisted. He wasn’t sure how many times he’d pondered on the idea, but it was still so hard to fully accept. Another world, or at least another time, the future, where he and everything around him were only words written in a series of books meant for children. A place of magic and adventure. Or so it seemed from the way she spoke of them. Everything carefully edited down to omit the more gruesome details. Ones he’d lived through.

Rosemary and butter filled the air, pulling him from the downward spiral his mind was taking. A deep breath filled his sensitive nose and eased the twist in his gut. It smelled divine. She really was an amazing cook. He focused on the clank of metal on metal, a loud hiss and sizzle filling the air with the smell of seared meat. Kat hummed to herself, a tune he vaguely recognized from a few telly commercials he’d caught at work.

The noise in the kitchen stopped after a while. Footsteps moved around the room, more clatter of things being jostled. Then cool glass was pushed into his hand. He blinked his eyes open to find no one there. In his hand was Kat’s glass piece, the bright yellow and orange colors of blown glass darkened slightly by the packed herb inside. The footsteps returned and a plate and silverware were placed on the coffee table before him. Kat dropped down on the floor beside his chair and put her own plate down then looked up at him with an amused smile.

“Are you just going to stare at it or smoke it?” she asked.

He lifted it up with a heavy arm and frowned. “Why did you give me this?”

Her brows dropped down as well. “Well, you told me that it helped with calming the wolf down. It’s good for pain too. You do get aches and such before the moon, don’t you?”

Guilt pushed its way up. “Eh - well, yes, but this is yours and it’s expensive-”

“Smoke the fucking weed, Moony,” she snapped and turned to her food. The use of the nickname snapped him from his stupor and he stiffened. “That stuff will make you tired, so make sure to eat right after. You’ll sleep like a baby tonight, guaranteed.” 

And with that, she picked up her knife and fork and started cutting at her own steak. Remus pursed his lips, glancing between her and the bowl, before giving in. His snapped his fingers, taking small delight in the flicker of the flame, and pulled in a hit. He held it until he felt the tell tale ease of his mind and let it out, sighing the smoke at the fading pain. His body didn’t hurt quite as much. Another hit held, then released and he set it aside, satisfied with the lack of pain and calmed thoughts.

When he picked up his plate, Kat flashed him a smug smile around her fork, one he returned with a roll of his eyes. As pushy as she was, she was right. And by Merlin’s beard, did the steak on his lap look amazing. He cut into it and felt his mouth water at the red juices flowing out, dark pink color inside, and the ring of lighter cooked meat barely a ¼ of a centimeter thick. He put a piece in his mouth and didn’t even bother to stop the groan that escaped him. Hot butter, the savory flavor of meat, and just a hint of-was that...?

“Did you put firewhiskey in this?” he mumbled and swallowed, going right in for another piece.

Kat hummed in acknowledgement. “I hope you don’t mind. I found the bottle in the back of a cabinet. Had an inch of dust on it, but it didn’t look like a fancy kind,” she said waving her knife absently over her shoulder. “I usually use rum, but whiskey works too. Helps keep the meat tender and adds a bit of sweetness to it.”

Remus only groaned again with another bite. He didn’t care if she’d used a hundred galleon bottle of firewhiskey if she kept making food like this. It was better than anything he’d had before. It had worked. The meat was so tender he barely had to cut it and it seemed to melt on his tongue. His worries melted with it, leaving him limp and almost too weak to lift his arm for more.

It wasn’t to last though. A loud knock on the door had both of them freezing. He was on his feet instantly, mind sharpening past the haze. Remus let his wand drop from the sheath under his sleeve and he crouched, eyes staring hard at the windows. He saw no one. Everything in him screamed warnings. His wards hadn’t gone off and he hadn’t felt a single ripple of magic if they had been dispelled. Nerves singing, he crept to the door and glanced over. Kat was already beside him, her sword unsheathed and ready, back pressed to the wood along the doorframe. She met his gaze with a tight expression and a nod.

Feeling a bit better with her so close, even with a muggle weapon, he flicked his wand over the door, pulled it open, and stepped up, wand held out. Though he dropped his arm in shock at the old wizened face with twinkling blue eyes before him.

“Professor?” he gasped.

Albus Dumbledore smiled warmly, eyes sparkling more behind his glasses. “Hello, Remus. I apologize for the surprise visit, but there was something I wished to speak with you about. May I come in?”

“Er, yes, yes, of course! Please,” Remus said hurriedly, stepping back and giving him space.

A sword jumped up to block the doorway and he jerked his head to glare at Kat. She stepped out and gave his old headmaster a scrutinizing once over, much to the surprise of their guest. “Shouldn’t you ask him a security question? Make sure it’s actually him,” she asked, voice hard.

“Kat,” he hissed, “it’s not necessary. He’s the only one-”

“She’s quite right, Remus,” Dumbledore said, his surprise replaced with a spark of interest. “You never know who someone might be these days. Go on, my boy.”

Remus swallowed down his aggravation with the woman and picked through his head for something to ask. “What was the reason you gave for picking James over me for Head Boy?”

The old wizard gave him a sad, knowing look. “I felt that making you Head Boy would draw too much attention to you, posing a threat to your secret.”

Kat let her sword arm drop and snatched the sheath up from the floor, placing the weapon back in smoothly. “Would you like some tea, sir?” she asked politely, though her back was turned.

“Yes. Liquorice if you have any, Miss…”

“Jones,” she answered shortly and stalked into the kitchen, leaving the two men by the door.

“Might I ask who your guest is, Remus?” Dumbledore asked slowly, pulling his eyes from Kat to meet Remus’.

Remus pulled his mouth into a tight line and absently twirled his wand in his fingers. “I’m sure she’d rather tell you herself, Professor,” he growled before sighing. “Please, have a seat.”

He flicked his wand and sent the half eaten meals to the kitchen table before sitting down on the sofa. Dumbledore took an armchair, looking just as stately and mysterious as always. His robes were a dark blue, covered in swirling stitches that moved about in abstract patterns. Kat came over soon after, placing a tray with a steaming pot of tea and cups, then sat herself.

Everyone was silent, the only noise the quiet thump from the phonograph filling the air. Dumbledore was the first to break it, clearing his throat before shifting and folding his threaded hands over a knee. “I assume you have read the news?” he asked Remus, eyes steely over his half moon glasses.

“Yes,” Remus answered, leaning back and rubbing a hand along his jaw. “Do you have any clue as to where he’s headed?”

“I have a few ideas,” he said, the faintest frown pulling his brows down. “But is this something that might be discussed with your guest here?”

“You can say anything you want in front of me,” Kat said with a sharp tone. “You think Black is after Harry, right?”

Dumbledore’s brows jumped up and he leaned back. “Yes…” One of his hands went up to stroke his beard. “Pardon my rudeness. I didn’t properly introduce myself. I am-”

“Albus Dumbledore. Older brother to Aberforth and Ariana, close friend and possible lover of Gellert Grindelwald.” Remus choked on his own spit at her last words and his eyes jerked to Dumbledore, finding the man stone faced. “Greatest wizard in the past few centuries and current headmaster at Hogwarts. Was the leader of the Order of the Phoenix and will be again soon, if things go the way they are,” Kat said flatly, crossing her arms. “My name is Katherine Fay Jones. A time or dimension traveler. Take your pick.”

“Kat!” he snapped, slapping hand to his forehead. “Have you no tact?!”

“Oh, shut up,” she grumbled, eyes still locked on Dumbledore. “Better to get it out of the way now. So, Dumbledore. Want to take it out of my head or would you like to talk?”

The tension grew, the two staring each other down, or, well, Kat staring at the man’s chest. Remus felt the wolf start to thrash about, screaming that his possible mate might be in danger, but he pushed it away again. His loyalties were torn, not sure what to do. Thankfully the choice was made for him when Dumbledore burst into laughter, surprising everyone.

“Oh, my! What an interesting woman you are!” he chortled, giving his hands a clap. “Yes, most interesting. Time travel you say?”

Kat nodded, relaxing slightly. “I’m not sure which, to be honest. I’m from America. The year was 2018. Where I’m from, you are just a character in a book. Well a series of books, seven in total.”

Dumbledore hummed, hand going back to his beard again. “Hmm. A character in a book. And what are these books about?” Remus dragged his hand through his hair as his head spun. How in the name of Merlin was the man taking this so well?

“Harry Potter. They follow his life from his first year of Hogwarts and on. I’ll tell you right now, I know what’s going to happen. And no, I’m not telling you all of it. Just what I think is worthwhile,” Kat said, shifting impatiently. “I’ve already decided that things have to go a certain way, but I do want to save lives. Yours being one of them.”

His blood went cold in his veins and he jerked his head to stare at the woman. His life? Dumbledore was going to die?! She’d never mentioned that before! Her eyes flicked to his for a moment, blank of emotion but for the slightest flash of fear, and then calm again. Gods, she was mad. Brilliant, but mad. This was not how he wanted to go about this.

“You wish to save my life? Rather noble of you,” the old wizard said, smile fading just slightly.

“I might not agree with everything you have and will do, but you’re important,” she said bluntly. “I’m willing to work with you, but only if you agree to a few things.”

Remus fought down the urge to pull at his hair and looked back to the older wizard. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking. Those normally joyful blue eyes were dark and calculating. The last time he’d seen them that way was just before he told James and Lily they had to go into hiding. His heart dropped into his stomach.

“That would depend on if you are telling the truth, Miss Jones,” Dumbledore said carefully. “Do you vouch for your guest, Remus?”

He drew in a breath when both pairs of eyes landed on him. “Yes, Professor,” he said quietly. “I know that it sounds far fetched, but she does know things no one else should. She predicted Sirius’ escape a week before it happened. And I’ve...been to where she’s from. Seen the dates, the advances in muggle technology. She isn’t lying.”

Dumbledore hummed thoughtfully, nodding and continuing with his beard stroking. “How is it that you came here?”

“No idea,” Kat said with a shrug. “If magic exists in my world, I don’t know anything about it. I’m under the assumption that I’m a muggle or, well, a no-maj. But something pulled me here and it lets me go back whenever I want.”

“And it allows Remus to as well?”

“Another story for another time,” she said flatly, leaning forward. “Do you believe me then?”

“I have yet to decide, my dear.”

Kat scoffed and scowled. “What do you want to know?”

“And what makes you think I wish for any of your knowledge?”

“I know you,” she stated, lifting a brow. “How about...the rest of the prophecy?”

That caught Dumbledore’s attention, the man perking up. Remus was intrigued as well. “But I thought that we already knew i-” Remus started to asked but Kat held up a hand.

“You only know part of it. He’s kept it hidden for a reason,” she said flatly, eyes locked with Dumbledore’s. “Go ahead. Take a look. I know you can.”

Remus looked between the two, feeling a chill roll down his spine. Their stare was intense, energy seeming to flow back and forth. After a few moments, Dumbledore looked away, seeming paler and shaken by what he’d seen. Kat wasn’t much better as she panted and twisted her mouth.

“What would you have me do?” the wizard asked, pushing his glasses up and looking back at the woman.

“I’m not entirely sure yet,” she said, looking unsteady. “Trust, I guess. That would be a good starting point.”

“You have it, Miss Jones.” Remus blinked in surprise at the easy acceptance. “It is obvious you have been putting much thought into this situation and you are correct in assuming that anything you change would drastically alter the end outcome. You are wise to bring this to me.”

Kat snorted and sat back, relaxing fully. “I didn’t want to, but...Well, Remus was right. We can’t do this without your help.”

The slightest flutter of pleasure eased his nerves at her words and he glanced at her from the corner of his eye. He also didn’t miss the smile that curled Dumbledore’s lips. “Yes, well, Mr Lupin has always been the greatest of minds. Miss Evans only took top of the year by a mere point, after all.”

“Yeah, he’s a smarty pants. But the first thing you should know is that Sirius is innocent.”

Kat’s words struck the room silent again. It brought up the usual wave of anger, sadness, and confusion that it always did. It took everything in Remus to hold back a snarl. Gods, how could she say such things so calmly? He just couldn’t accept it!

“Might you explain as to why Mr Black is innocent?” Dumbledore asked calmly, not giving the barest flicker of surprise.

“He didn’t do any of it,” Kat said bluntly, not even looking at them but staring at her hands as she fiddled with a gaping hole in her jeans. “He wasn’t the Potter’s secret keeper and he didn’t kill those muggles.”

“No!” Remus growled when his rage flared hotly, turning fully to face her. “He was their secret keeper! I saw the spell cast!”

“They switched. Peter was their secret keeper.” The tone alone was like a bucket of cold water on his rage, putting the flames out instantly. She looked up and sighed, then took his hand. The contact made his skin tingle, like before, and he felt the wolf stirr. Not from rage, but something else. “Peter is alive, Remus,” she said quietly, eyes meeting his. “He was the leak. He betrayed James and Lily.”

“No…” he whispered, throat closing up. His mind spun wildly, everything he thought he knew coming crashing down around him. “Bu-but why would they…?”

Her fingers stroked his soothingly. “Sirius knew he would be too big of a target, seeing as he was the most obvious choice to be secret keeper. You weren’t an option since they thought...well, they thought you were the spy,” she said through gritted teeth, pained just saying it. Pain he felt as well. “That left Peter. James and Lily agreed to it, made the switch, and Sirius put Peter into hiding. No one would expect innocent little Pete, right?”

A bitter laugh ripped from her and she shook her head, eyes dropping to their hands. “After they were killed, Sirius went after Peter. Enraged, crazed, wanting revenge. Once he tracked him down, Peter yelled that Sirius had betrayed them, loud enough for the crowd to hear, put his wand behind his back, and blew up all those muggles. Managed to cut a finger off at the same time, changed-” She paused for a moment, seeming to mull over something before closing her eyes and continuing. “He changed into a rat and managed to run off and hide.”

He wanted to say something, anything, but his tongue felt dead in his mouth. Things began to click into place. It made sense. Gods, it did, but he didn’t want to believe it. His heart twisted and he let his head fall, eyes pinching closed as tears burned behind the lids. The fingers around his squeezed then laced. He lifted their interlocked hands to his forehead, drawing calm from her, but also wanting to curse her.

Perhaps he hadn’t been ready for this secret.


	10. Optimism Tinged With Veracity

“Do you know where Peter is, Miss Jones?”

Kat bit down a growl and ripped her eyes from the panicking man before her to glare at Dumbledore. “Yeah, but we’re not going after him. He’s damn good at hiding. He’ll know something is off and sneak away. We’d never be able to find him after that.”

Boy, wasn’t that the truth. The little shit had faked his own death and managed to hide for months in the third book, not to mention running off at the end and evading Sirius for almost a full year. Tracking a rat all across Europe would be insane and pointless. No. If they were going to catch the disgusting son of a bitch, it had to be the same as the books. It left a lot open to chance, but it was the right thing to do.

The hand entangled with her own squeezed hard and she suppressed a grimace. It was hard not to notice the slight shake and stuttered breaths giving away his anguish. This was breaking him. Kat bit down on her bottom lip and hesitantly placed her other hand on the back of Remus bowed head, stroking slightly. His hair was surprisingly soft, the thickness of it almost completely engulfing her fingers. It seemed to help slightly. His shoulders seemed to relaxed.

“You are positive of Black’s innocence?”

Dumbledore’s barrage of questions was getting on her nerves, but she clamped down on her annoyance. It was to be expected considering what she’d just dumped on his lap. “I swear my life on it,” she answered quietly. “He wouldn’t harm a hair on Harry’s head unless it was to put a hair removal potion in the mop while he slept as a joke.”

A broken and quiet laugh ripped from Remus and his whole body shook. It made her smile, just a little. “Gods, he would do that, too.” His voice was rough when he spoke and his entire form rose as he took a deep breath then lifted his head. She quickly pulled her hand away from his head and felt her heart ache for him. His green eyes were red rimmed and watery and guilt was mixed with the ever present sadness. “All this time, he’s been rotting in that Godric forsaken place...”

Kat sighed and shook her head. “From what I’ve read, it was a dark time. Everyone was paranoid for a good reason. I can tell you that Sirius doesn’t blame you. Not in the slightest.” Her words did the trick. The werewolf managed a slight smile, nodding and straightening up, but keeping her hand firmly in his.

The clearing of a throat broke the moment. “That brings the conversation back to what I originally came to speak to you about, Remus,” Dumbledore said. How he managed to look so calm and aloof, Kat would never know.

“There’s only one way I’d accept,” Remus said quickly, pushing his hair from his face.

That made the headmaster blink and Kat grinned. Oh, god, it was so satisfying to see him shook. “How-”

“I told him,” Kat said smugly. “Defense Against the Dark Arts position with more wolfsbane than he can blink at, right?”

Dumbledore’s mouth pulled into a tight line. “Of course. And what might be keeping you from taking my offer?”

“There has been a...complication with our situation,” he said, the faintest of blushes tinting his cheeks. “Do you know anything about werewolf mates, Professor?”

It took a lot for Kat not to groan when the old wizard smiled. His eyes lit up like he’d just been given a Christmas present. “Some, yes. Do you mean to tell me that Miss Jones and yourself are-”

“No!” she blurted out, feeling her own cheeks grow red. Fuck, this was embarrassing. “Just a mark. His furry side seems to like me.” The last part came out a mumble and she suddenly wanted to be far away from this.

“While Kat still seems to think she’s a muggle, she has enough magical ability that the lycanthropy was able to anchor the beginnings of a bond between us,” Remus continued, flashing her a stern look. Fucking hell, this was so embarrassing! “The lack of magical use has left her core very weak, thus causing the bond to put a dangerous strain on her if we are too far apart.”

“By dangerous, I am assuming you mean life threatening then,” Dumbledore said slowly, brows furrowing and fingers stroking his beard in thought. Kat wanted to slap his hand away. At Remus’ acknowledging nod, he hummed. “Well, you will just have to bring Miss Jones with you. Quite convenient if we are to work together, I must say.”

Kat blinked dumbly and glanced over to find Remus doing the same. Was he really accepting this, just like that? “Er, Professor…” the werewolf said hesitantly, hand rubbing the back of his neck. “I thought that only students and professors were allowed to live within the castle.”

“Exceptions can be made, my boy. And please, we are associates now. Call me Albus.”

The amount of cheer in his tone made her stomach churn. This was weird. She didn’t like it. Unless he was planning on using all of this for something. Her back stiffened at the thought. It wouldn’t surprise her in the least if he’d already thought of a way to twist this around. Or perhaps as a way to trap him into another promise. Much like he would do with Sirius. Then another thought blossomed in her head.

“We need to get Sirius a trial,” she blurted, surprising both men.

“Kat, what-” Remus started, but she shook her head and leaned forward, staring at Dumbledore hard.

“You’re the Chief Warlock for the Wizengamot, right? You have the authority to demand a trial since he didn’t get one originally,” she demanded, mouth pulling into a sour pucker.

The old wizard went solemn again. “I’m afraid that would do no good, Miss Jones. There is too much evidence against him and your word would be far from useful in court,” he said.

“Not if I get Pettigrew.” Her words seemed to ring in the air and she felt Remus’ eyes burning into the side of her head. “I know where he’ll be for most of the year, when to catch him. It will be hard, but I’m sure it’s doable if Remus helps me.”

She heard more than saw him swallow, head ducking down slightly. “You’re serious then?” he asked quietly, emotion leaking into his voice.

“Of course!” she exclaimed, shifting forward more on the cushion and pressed her knee to his thigh. “Sirius deserves his freedom and I’ll be damned if I let that nasty rat loose.”

His fingers tightened more, but he nodded. “We’ll get him then,” he said resolutely, meeting her eyes. “Clear Sirius’ name.”

Her breath left her in a relieved sigh and she grinned. The green in his eyes seemed more vibrant suddenly. Perhaps it was the lack of his usual sadness. It was replaced by a determination. He was a man with a goal, no longer set to wander between petty jobs and hide from everyone. Pride welled up in her chest. She’d done that.

“Not to interrupt.” Kat and Remus turned to look at Dumbledore, the man looking very pleased again. “I’m sure the both of you have this well in hand, but there is something that I find most curious.” The grin slid from her face as a different glint sparked in those bright blue eyes.

“And what would that be?” she asked tightly.

“Does magic really not exist where you are from?”

Kat heaved out a breath through her nose. “I said before that I don’t know. I’m a-”

“You’re not a sodding muggle, Kat!” Remus groaned, flashing an apologetic grimace at Dumbledore at his language. “If you didn’t have any magic before, you do now, and that’s what we need to work on. I-” He stopped and sighed. “Perhaps it’s best if I explain this to...Albus.”

She gave him a petulant look and leaned back into the sofa, arms crossed. “Go ahead then. You know more on this than me,” she said dryly.

And with that, Remus launched into a long discussion with the old wizard. Bouncing around ideas on her core, plans to work on her magic, possible remedial lessons to teach her actual spells. It left her surly, annoyance peaking and making her restless. She felt like a child, having her parents talk over her head, but she bit it down. They really were the best to figure it out. She knew nothing about that type of stuff. Though they did move on to thing pertaining to Remus’ position. Pay was debated, benefits, starting dates and other things.

After what felt like hours, Dumbledore stood, smoothing out his crazy moving robes. “Well, I must be off. I shall do some research, but I promise, the two of you will not be separated,” he reassured.

Remus stood as well, walking him to the door. “Thank you,” he said with relief. Kat stayed firmly in her seat, staring grumpily into the empty fireplace.

“I will owl you with the old lesson plans so you might use them, Remus. Oh, and I will speak with Poppy first thing. She will let you know as soon as she has a few ideas.”

“Of course. I look forward to hearing from her. Safe travels, Albus.”

Once the door closed, the werewolf seemed to deflate, his shoulders slumping and a hand coming up to rub at his face. The sight sent a twinge into her heart. She was the cause for all this stress. She stood and went to him, hesitantly resting a hand on his back.

“You should sit down,” she said softly, offering a smile when he looked up with red rimmed and tired eyes.

He shook his head, roughing shoving a hand through his hair and making it stand up at an odd angle. “No. I think I’ll head to bed. I have work tomorrow, after all.”

“You should quit!” she blurted and immediately gave herself a mental smack. Stupid! When was she going to get control of her fucking mouth?

His mouth twisted into a strained smile. “I was planning on it, actually,” he said, hand moving from his hair to scratch at his beard. Kat blinked dumbly, surprised he would so easily give up a job when they were so hard to come by. “We have a busy two months ahead of us and I’ll need all the free time I can get.”

“Right. Well, I think I’ll make another trip back some time soon, bring back more groceries,” she started, thoughts starting to roll quickly. “If you aren’t working, I’ll make sure to keep us stocked on food. No electricity or water bills to worry about, so that should be the only expense-”

“Kat, stop.” She did so, blinking up at him again. “Albus is going to start paying me immediately. Money isn’t an issue anymore. He, eh, well, he’s giving me an extra stipend just for you as well.”

“What?!” Her tone made Remus flinch and she cringed, lowering her voice when she spoke again. “Why is he giving me money? I don’t need anything.”

“Robes, to start with,” he replied, his smile growing more natural. “If you’re going to be at Hogwarts, you can’t be running around in muggle clothes the entire time, much less ones that are from twenty years in the future.”

Kat huffed and crossed her arms. “Fashion hasn’t changed that much. I’ll just throw on some baggy jeans and some flannel. That was big in the 90’s,” she muttered, and rolled her eyes when he lifted a brow at her. “But, yeah, okay, I see your point. Though I’m not sure what else I would need.”

“We’ll figure that out when the time comes. For now, let’s get some sleep.”

“Right…” She turned to start up the stairs, but a hand caught her wrist, stopping her. When she looked back to the man the expression on his face made her breath catch in her throat. Sad, but relieved.

“I...I wanted to thank you for telling me the truth,” he said quietly, almost whispering. “It means a lot and-”

She silenced him with a finger to his lips, again giving herself a mental curse. She really needed to stop touching him. It made him uncomfortable, judging from the blush growing on his cheeks. “You deserved to know,” she said just as quietly, quickly pulling her hand back and curling it in the hem of her shirt. “Sirius needs for you to know. We’ll be on his side when he needs it most.”

Something flashed in his eyes before they shuttered, the emotion gone. “Of course,” he said gruffly, looking away and letting go of her wrist. “Well, good night.”

He stepped around her and hurried up the stairs, leaving her alone and confused at the sudden exit. What in the world was that? He acted like she had kicked his puppy. Kat shook her head and put the thought aside, going up to her own small room. It was that time of the month for him. Probably nothing.

 

* * *

 

“I knew they were real! Hot damn, and they called me a nerd for researching this stuff in high school!”

Kat clapped her hands and held up the moving picture of a small hunched scaly creature, a turtle shell on its back. The dip in its head look like someone had beat its skull in with a bat, but it sloshed with water as it looked around. A mother fucking Kappa. It was so exciting to see. If this little guy was real, what other types of mythical monsters could be lurking around?

“You know of them?” Remus asked as he tapped a stack of parchment on the table and slid it into a folder.

She nodded and looked over the photo, grinning widely. “Oh, yeah. I went through this stage when I was a kid and became obsessed with Japanese culture. Kappas are turtle or frog demons with bowl like heads that hold water. Usually they lure children from the shores of rivers and lakes to kidnap them or drown any adult that gets too close. You can escape them with either a cucumber, since that’s what their name means, or by tricking them into bowing, making them spill the water on their head and causing them pass out.”

The man chuckled, taking the picture when she passed it back. “Correct. They aren’t common outside of Asia, but I have come across a few in the southern parts of England. They tend to like the warmer marshes. Nasty little buggers.”

“I guess I’ll just keep a bag of cucumbers with me if I ever go there,” Kat said, leaning her jaw on her hand. “So, Professor, do you think you’re ready?”

“I would hope so,” Remus said wryly, straightening up the last of his files and putting them in his briefcase. The latches made a satisfying _snick_ at the flip of his fingers.

Kat would hope so as well. The last month had flown by, much faster than she’d wanted. Remus had buried himself in lesson plans and curriculum lists, spending most of his time scribbling on sheet after sheet of parchment. He had to have everything mostly finished for when the book lists were sent out. While he had worked through everything, he’d also went over the subject with her.

For the first time, she could really see just what made him an amazing teacher. Patient and kind, never talking to her as if she was a child, an idiot for not already knowing most of the things already. He jokingly said it was to practice his lectures, but it was obvious he had passion for the subject from the way he lit up. From the simplest spells to the most dangerous of dark creatures, it all drew out the best of his personality. It was contagious, in a way, driving her to put just as much effort into learning as he did with teaching.

It had been enjoyable, but she couldn’t help feeling anxious. They had yet to receive word from Dumbledore on what story they would use for her being in Hogwarts or the subject of her magic. She trusted him enough for that, much to her surprise and dismay. It was hard not to once you spent any time around him. But the lack of information was slowly driving her crazy. Her entire safety in this world was up in the air.

Shaking off the foreboding thoughts, she gave Remus a slight smile, absently running her finger over the wood grain of the table. He looked much better, with the full moon having been a few days ago. And for some reason, he had shaved. She was a bit disappointed, rather liking him with a full beard, but he didn’t look bad with his face smooth and bare. It made it easier to see his mouth. No mustache or goatee like in the movies. He claimed it was more professional, which she’d snorted at. Such a muggle concept. Dumbledore had the longest beard she’d ever seen and he was the fucking Headmaster.

His eyes lifted from his case, meeting hers. They warmed when he returned her smile, the green growing lighter ever so slightly. Like a leaf held up to the sunlight. “What is it?” he asked, head lilting to the side.

Kat averted her eyes, staring at the repeating dark and light patterns under her finger. “Nothing,” she said and swallowed the odd swell of emotions in her throat. “Uh, have you heard anything from Dumbledore yet?”

“Ah, yes, actually.” He pulled a letter from his pocket and slid it across the table to her. “This arrived this morning.”

She flipped it over and pulled out the parchment, skimming over it. Her brows pulled into a frown as she reread a paragraph. “Teachers assistant?” she muttered, scoffing under her breath. “How in the hell am I supposed to pull that off? I don’t know enough about the subject for something like this!”

The werewolf laughed and leaned back in his chair. “Well, that was part of the reason why I’ve been going over everything with you. It’s brilliant, when you think about it. You can run the class when I’m...under the weather.”

“Again, I can’t do any of the spells! Remus, this-”

He held up a hand to stop her. “You’ll only be going over theory, most likely creatures. You picked up on those the quickest.”

Kat groaned and buried her face in her hands. “I don’t know anything about teaching,” she grumbled.

“Didn’t you tell me you usually ended up assisting your professors in uni with helping other students?”

That made her cringe. God, she regretted ever telling him that. It was true, of course. She always picked up on things fast and whenever there had been lab days, she was the one most people went to for help on animation or modeling. But that was computers and software, not magical creatures! She roughing rubbed her face before dropping her hands and gave him a glare. It only made him laugh more.

“Don’t worry about it too much, Kat. I’ll make sure you have thorough notes. It will be like reading off cue cards,” he said, flashing a grin that made her cheeks heat up.

“Right. Like I did any better in my speech class either,” she muttered and pouted, going over the other sheet in the envelope. A list of recommended supplies, noted that her stipend should be more than enough to cover that and other things she might want. Robes were a must, obviously, but there were a ton of other things. Parchment, quills, ink, organizational supplies, a spelled trunk, yada yada. It even said to get a fucking familiar. It looked like the damn first year supplies list.

Remus must have noticed her sour expression because he was still grinning, a slight mischievous glint in his eyes. He was enjoying this way too much. “What?” she grumbled out, feeling so much like a child at that moment.

A hum was her answer and the tilt of his head in the other direction. “I was just thinking that today would be a good day to visit Diagon Alley, but your mood doesn’t seem to suit the sunny day,” he quipped.

Kat sat up straight at the mention of the alley. “Diagon Alley?” she asked breathlessly, mouth agape.

“Yes. The owl came with the key for your vault and the letters were only released to the students a day or so ago. This would be the perfect time to beat the crowds.”

“Oh, hell yes!” she cried out, jumping from her seat and dancing in place, joy replacing any reluctance. “I’ve dreamed of this day! Shit, let me get my shoes!” Kat ignored the burst of laughter, running up to her room and throwing on the nearest pair of shoes as fast as she could. She ran back down and huffed when she found Remus still sitting in his chair sipping at a mug of tea. “Up!” she snapped, planting her fists on her hips.

The man casually looked up at her, managing to look completely nonchalant, but the glint was still there in those green orbs. “Oh, did I say today? I meant next week,” he said innocently and slurped loudly.

“Oh, no you don’t, you jackass!” she growled, snatching the mug from his hand and slamming it onto the table. “You don’t get to tempt me with that and then act like it didn’t happen!” She grabbed his arm with both hands and tugged him up from the chair, scowling when he snickered.

“Alright, alright. No need to manhandle me,” he said, stumbling along as she dragged him to the door. “Hold on a moment.”

Kat did as he asked, impatiently prancing from foot to foot while he waved his wand and summoned an old leather bag. She lifted a brow when he handed it to her. “What’s this?”

“For your things,” he replied, opening the door and strolling out.

She opened it up and blinked when she found only a bottomless darkness inside. “Undetectable extension charm?”

“Don’t say that too loudly when there are others about,” he said, flashing a smile over his shoulder. “But yes, I cast it myself. The spell is-”

“Highly regulated and it’s against the law to use whenever you please, you fuckin’ Marauder” she finished, jogging to catch up with him. The odd tingly ripple passed over her as they exited the wards, taking her breath away for a moment. Shit, it felt so weird, like pushing through jello.

“Right again. Muggle, my arse.” She took his offered arm with a laugh, enjoying the rare playful banter between them. His serious attitude had seemed to ease over the past weeks, giving way to a lightness that suited him well. It was easy to picture what he must have been like before the First War.

The thoughts were pushed away when he shifted closer. While it was just to prepare for Disapparation, she couldn’t help the shiver up her spine in reaction to the wave of heat that radiated off him. Even in the sweltering summer temperatures, it drew her in and sent her pulse fluttering. Thank fucking god his senses weren’t hypersensitive from the moon or he would have heard it for sure.

“Ready?” he asked, wand out.

“Eh, yeah,” Kat said quickly, closing her eyes and holding tight to him.

The squash and stretch was over quickly and barely phased her anymore. But nothing prepared her for the stunning sight when she opened her eyes. It was just like out of the movies but more. Towering, crowded, and crooked buildings all jammed in, the architecture dated but charming with lattice paned windows, creatures, odd magical instruments and more crowded and hanging from every surface. Stalls and carts squeezed in where ever there was space with trinkets and food, ingredients and more on display. And the people. Shit, the variety was boggling. Every color imaginable was flashing and swishing about, any shape of hats bobbling along, and hundreds of voices calling and harking.

The vibrations of a chuckle made her blink and rip her eyes away, looking up at Remus and his warm grin. “Amazing, isn’t it?” he asked, tilting his head.

“Fuck yes,” she breathed, feeling her own face split and stretch wide. “I can’t believe I’m actually here. Another dream come true.” She felt a little stupid when her eyes burned, tears welling up, and rubbed her eyes roughly. “I want to see _everything_!”

Remus hummed, taking her hand and tucking into the crook of his arm. “I don’t know about everything, but we can give it a try.”

“Yeeeessss!” she sang and stomped her feet in excitement. “Let’s do it!”

That had her new friend throwing his head back in a full deep laugh. The sound made her cheeks warm, but she held tight to his arm as they wove into the flowing crowd, focusing on the adventure ahead.


	11. Procure

The joy was contagious. While the sights and sounds were old to Remus, leading Kat around made it feel like the first time again. The woman was a bundle of wide eyes, giggles, and questions. Those caramel orbs darted everywhere, taking in the sights as fast as she could. Just like a new muggleborn that had received their first letter to Hogwarts. He made sure to show her whatever she wanted, not bothering to hide his laughter when she pouted at being dragged away from store fronts.

“Oh! Look, Madam Malkin’s!” Kat gasped, pulling away yet again and prancing up to gape at the mannequins as they shifted poses in garish robes. Her nose wrinkled with distaste at a particularly pink and frilly one. “Eh. Please tell me that isn’t fashionable.”

“I’m the worst to ask about such things,” he said, stepping up beside her. “I’ve been told I have a horrible sense for it.”

She hummed, glancing up at him. “I guess I can see why someone might say that. You dress like you’ve always been a stuffy professor. Not that it’s a bad thing.” Her wink caught him off guard and he averted his eyes, clearing his throat. Merlin, he was not used to this.

“Well, we can come back here in a bit,” he said quickly, turning back to the moving crowd. “We need to stop at Gringotts first.”

“Right. Money,” Kat said and caught his sleeve in her fingers as he stepped into the stream moving down the street. “Galleons, sickles, and knuts.”

The last part came out in a singing tone, making him smile. For someone barely a few years younger than he, she had so much energy. Kat’s moods seemed to jump about constantly, almost always extremes. Carefree and silly to serious and tense to attentive and comforting. She seemed to put her all into whatever took her at the moment. It was refreshing but also overwhelming due to his years of avoiding people.

Her gasp brought his thoughts back down and he grinned as her mouth dropped open, stopping in the middle of the street to gape up at the huge white marble building before them. Gringotts. It was rather impressive, all shining with gold accents, crooked supports, and the massive amount of stairs leading up to the equally massive doors. He tugged her closer as a grumbling wizard pushed passed and led her up the steps with a hand on the small of her back.

Once inside, she slapped hands over her mouth to muffle a squeal. “Goblins,” she whispered as they stepped into the short line, eyes wide and glittering. “Oh shit, this is so awesome. This blows those fancy banks in downtown out of the water, man.”

Remus suppressed the smile pulling at his lips and fished a key from his pocket. “Here. This is for your school vault.”

“School vault?” she asked, frowning at the little golden key. “Jeeze, I feel like he’s treating me like a first year.”

He bit down on his tongue. Honestly, she was right. After explaining everything to the Headmaster, the two had decided this would be the best option for now. Kat was a priceless resource and Dumbledore wanted to keep her close for reasons outside the bond. It was necessary to be able to find out just what it was that brought her here and to make the best use of her knowledge. Not to mention keeping her from accidentally exploding something, as had already happened to a whole chicken twice now when she over cooked it. Her magic was becoming stronger without having even used it yet. Curious but dangerous.

“Next please.”

Kat scurried up in front of him, smiling widely at the small hunched figure perched behind the tall desk. “Hello,” she chirped and placed her key on the desk. “I’d like to make a withdrawal, please.”

The goblin picked it up, inspecting it carefully with beady black eyes, then narrowed them at her over spectacles. “Do you have your identification?” it asked with a scratchy voice.

The woman blanched. “Uh, identification?”

“I have it here,” Remus said and handed over a roll of parchment. When Kat looked fearfully up at him, he leaned down and whispered into her ear, “It’s just proof that you’re working for the school. Since you’re technically my assistant, I have to be with you to get into the vault.”

That made her scowl and cross her arms. “Of course,” she sneered, “A fucking child.”

“Kat,” he sighed, turning to her fully, but she held up a hand.

“Don’t,” she said, mouth pulling into a tight line. “I get it, Remus. Can’t trust the future lady completely yet.”

“It’s not like tha-”

“Follow me.”

Remus snapped his mouth closed when Kat pushed past and followed the small creature towards the gated cart area. The short ride was silent, the woman still simmering with anger with her arms crossed. She did settle a bit when the goblin opened the vault, watching intently at the casual magic that it used in combination with the key. Then she boggled at the small pile of gold coins inside, her excitement coming back as she hopped from foot to foot again.

“How much do you think I’ll need?” she asked cautiously, kneeling down and picking one up to roll in her palm.

“Take it all. We won’t be able to come back till the next break and I’m sure you’d like to have something to use at Hogsmeade,” he said and handed her a pouch.

“Okay, then,” she muttered and scooped it all into the pouch before shoving it into her pocket.

The tense mood had lessened more, but her earlier excitement had died down by time they stepped back into the alley. Remus silently cursed himself for ever agreeing with Albus’ restrictions. Kat obviously was not happy with them and he could feel what little trust he’d been trying to build with her slipping. Bloody hell, how to fix this?

“Oh fuck, Remus!” He blinked and looked down when her hand grabbed his arm, pulling him from the crowd to huddle by a cart filled with hovering melons. “Is that who I think it is?” Kat hissed, staring hard across the way.

He squinted, focusing on what she might have seen and bit down a growl. The head of almost pure white hair was hard to miss when mixed with the painfully expensive robes in subdued colors. Not to mention the permanent sneer pulling on the man’s lips as he looked around in contempt at those moving around him outside Broomstix. “Malfoy,” he said lowly, placing a hand over hers that had his robes in a stranglehold. “What is it, Kat?”

“Nothing. I just - shit, he’s even nastier to see in real life,” she hissed. He could hear the venom in her tone and glanced down. Her caramel eyes were narrowed, calculating. He just knew her mind was rolling through the many things she knew, making sure to plan any meeting she would ever have with the man.

Remus pried her fingers free and threaded them with his, then pulled her back out into the crowd. Once they were away from the ex Death Eater, he pulled her into Wiseacre’s. The distance relaxed her and she huffed out a breath. “Is there something I should know about Malfoy?” he asked quietly as they moved to a display of magical trunks.

She shook her head, using her free hand to push a wave of curls out of her face. “Not now. He already caused enough damage last year so he’ll lay low for a bit,” she replied, lips thinning.

“What did he do?” he asked, fingers squeezing around hers. The action had her looking down in surprise, not realizing their hands woven together.

“He, uh-” She paused, pulling her hand from his and stuffing it in her pocket. A small pang of disappointment jabbed his chest. “He started the long chain of events that led to the Chamber of Secrets being opened at Hogwarts,” she whispered, eyes trained on a dark green trunk. “Gave Ginny Weasley a diary that Voldemort had given him to keep safe in an attempt to ditch any dark objects before a Ministry raid on his mansion.”

“He what?!”

“Sssh!” Kat slapped his arm and glanced around, sighing when she found no one nearby. “The diary was cursed. It...had something of Tom in it and it possessed her. Forced her to open the thing and let a basilisk loose. It petrified, shit, I don’t know, a good handful of muggleborns before Harry managed to stop it.”

The air left his lungs and fury boiled up in his blood. Malfoy had caused all of that to happen and the man was still free? And Harry had been in the middle of it all. Why was he not surprised. He cursed quietly, pinching his eyes closed to wrestle the rage back down. It was done and over. Nothing he could do about it now.

“I think I like this one.” The casual tone Kat used jolted him from the anger, eyes popping open to find her running her fingers over a small trunk with what appeared to be maps printed along the surface. The landmasses and town names shifted, moving closer at her touch and making the woman cooing happily.

He sighed and nodded, shoving his hands in his own pockets. “It is quite nice,” he said roughly, watching her poke another spot and smile when the map shifted again. The simple magic was bringing back her childlike amazement and he felt his own mood settle at the sight. “You should get it.”

Her brows dropped when she check the tag on it. “I have no idea if this thing is expensive or not,” she muttered, moving to the next and checking the tag as well. “Is ten galleons a lot?” Kat cursed and pulled out her coin pouch, shifting through the coins.

Remus rolled his eyes and grabbed the trunk while she was distracted, taking it to the counter where a bored looking clerk sat. Yes, ten was a bit much, but she seemed to like it enough that it didn’t matter. Her outraged squeal rang out from the back of the shop as he paid for it himself.

“Remus!” Kat shouted, storming up. “What are you doing?”

“Buying you a trunk,” he said casually, smiling when she huffed and stomped a foot.

“It was the third most expensive one back there, you idiot!” she hissed and turned to the clerk. “Give him his money back, please. I want to get a different one.”

“All sales are final, miss,” the man said flatly, leaning back in his seat and shaking open a copy of the Prophet.

Remus ignored her indignant squawk and took the trunk before heading back out into the street. She chased after and swatted at his arm. “What is wrong with you?” she demanded, causing heads to turn as they head towards Malkin’s again.

“Nothing,” he replied casually.

Kat growled and trotted to keep up. “I’m paying you back. How much was that after tax?”

“It doesn’t matter. Consider it a gift.”

Her hand latched onto his sleeve and pulled him to a stop. “Remus, I can’t let you do that,” she said, voice lowering with her brows. “It was expensive and-”

“And I wanted to get it for you,” he interrupted and smiled when her shoulder slumped with a huff. “Just take it, Kat.”

Those caramel orbs swam with frustration for a moment before she sighed and nodded. “Fine. Thank you,” she said with a pout and reached out for it, but he pulled it away. “Oh, come on! At least let me carry it!”

“I’ve got it. It’s a bit heavy.”

Kat threw her hands up and started down the way again, muttering, “Damn chauvinistic men!”

Things fell back into a happier casual mood after that, much to his relief. For the first time, he enjoyed a shopping trip. Malkin’s was far more fun than it had ever been for him before. Kat tried on various over the top robes, strutting around with silly faces that sent him into fits of laughter until Madam Malkin herself came out, tutting and pushing her into a fitting. The small woman rolled her eyes and puffed the entire time, but immediately got along with the seamstress when chatting about muggle fashion and fabrics. At least they left with what was needed. Teaching robes and a few casual robes, all in warm, dark colors.

Scribbulus was just as much of an adventure. Kat couldn’t seem to grasp the concept of parchment instead of normal paper, scoffing over quills and muttering about pens and pencils. But she did buy what she needed after he reminded her it was what everyone used in this world. Though she did put a number of quills in her hair and made odd clucking noises, drawing looks from other customers until he dragged her out.

“Oh, c’mon! It was funny!” she laughed as he plucked the quills from her head and stuffed them in the bag. At his flat look, she grinned. “Fine, next time I’ll act like a phoenix so I fit in better.”

That made him laugh and shake his head as they ducked into Flourish and Blotts. “I don’t think that would help any,” he said wryly, “Anyone who has a head full of feathers and isn’t a fake seer will get odd loo- Bloody HELL!”

As soon as he stepped over the threshold, a loud snarl and a rattle from the cage beside the door scared him badly enough that he jumped away. His back slammed into a display, but Kat sprang up and caught the stand before it could topple. He slapped a hand over his heart and gaped at the huge cage filled with books. Books that had a Godric forsaken mouth and teeth and were growling loudly at him.

“Oh! The monster books!” Kat chirped, going up to it and peering in.

“Monster books?” he asked incredulously, shoving fallen hair from his face. “Who in their right mind would want one of  _ those _ ?!”

“It’s for Care of Magical Creatures.” She wiggled a finger before the bars and laughed when one lunged and slammed into the side.

“Kettleburn never had that thing on the list before.”

“That’s because Kettleburn retired. Hagrid teaches it now.”

“Hagrid?!”

“Oi! Get away from there!” The man behind the counter rushed over, waving glove covered hands at Kat. “Those things will take your finger off and I don’t want any more Auror visits!”

Kat grinned then stood and pulled her hair back into a stubby tail swiftly. “Having problems with them?” she asked.

“That’s an understatement. Bloody things are either trying to bite customers or ripping each other apart. I regret ordering them.”

“Well, there’s a trick to them. They’re like actual animals. You just have to pet them a certain way and they get all calm and cuddly. Can I borrow your gloves?”

The man blinked and nodded, pulling his off and shoving them at her. Remus barely had a chance to think over why she might want them before she pulled them on, opened the cage, and wrestled one out.

“Kat!” he shouted as she cursed and held the sides closed, twisting it to reach the spine. “What are you doing?!”

“Sssh!” she hissed and grunted when the book screeched and flailed. At last, she managed to pin it between her thighs, ran a gentle hand down the spine a few times, then laughed when the book went limp and actually started purring. She lifted it up, panting but beaming proudly and offered it to the store keeper. “There. See, sweet as a kitten.”

He took it carefully, eyes wide as he marveled at the sleepy furry book. “Brilliant!” he exclaimed. “Oh, miss, you are absolutely brilliant! What did you do?”

“You just have to stroke the spine,” Kat said and pulled another book out. “Ju-just-SHIT-just watch!”

Remus could only shake his head as the man, who he had realized was the manager, Mr Wood, and the clerk behind the desk crowded up and helped her pin the book down. Kat lowered her voice and pointed at the place, giving exact instructions, then let them both stroke the book in the proper spot. He bit down on his lips to keep from laughing when the two much older men cheered and danced like children when the book went limp.

“Now, I don’t know how long it lasts, so I’d say tie some rope or something around it. That way if they wake up, they can’t bite anyone,” she said, straightening and taking off the gloves.

“Wonderful idea,” the older fellow said, taking the gloves back and handing everything to the clerk. “Thank you so much, Miss…”

“Jones,” Kat answered, grinning and dusting off her hands. “And it’s not a problem at all. I’m sure it’ll make it much easier when you have more students coming in.”

“Yes! But please, let me pay you back for your help. Twenty-five percent discount off anything your purchase today. For you and your-” Mr Wood turned and paused before he broke into a wide smile. “Oh, Mr Lupin, how wonderful it is to see you! Or should I say  _ Professor _ .” His wide brown eyes darted between Kat and himself and Remus felt his face warm slightly. “You are here with Miss Jones, yes?”

“Er, yes,” he said, hands going to his pockets.

“I’m his assistant at Hogwarts,” Kat added quickly, pulling her hair from its tail. “He was kind enough to help out a lost American wanting to learn more about teaching.” She shifted closer, fluttering her lashes. “My family is trying to open a small wizarding school out in southern states, just for locals that can’t afford Ilvermorny. And he’s one of the best around on Defense Against the Dark Arts, you know.” Remus blinked at the blatant praise the woman laid on and tried to hide his reddening face.

“I don’t doubt it!” Wood said with a hearty laugh. “One of my best customers as well, I tell you. The discount will cover the both of you. So, please, pick out whatever you like and bring it up.”

“Thank you!” Kat chirped happily with more eyelash flutters. “It will help so much with me getting some books I’m missing for the year. C’mon, Remus. Didn’t you say there was a particular book I should look at?”

He didn’t have a chance to reply as she looped her arm through his and dragged him farther in, putting as many layers of shelves between them as she could before turning to him. “Was that really necessary?” he asked faintly, pushing at his hair again when she giggled and leaned her head against his arm.

“Are you kidding me? Of course it was! I got us a discount, my fine furry friend” she said teasingly, letting go with a pat to his hand.

His brow twitched at the name, but he let it go when she looked up at him, cheeks pink with joy and exertion and light brown eyes shining in the dim light of the bookshop. Suddenly, his tongue felt like lead and his pulse kicked to a gallop. Merlin, she looked exquisite and smelled even better now that she was close enough. The warm sugar and cacao mixing with the musty smell of paper and books around. His head leaned down instinctively as she bounced on her toes and looked around the shop with curious eyes. Each bounce had her within centimeters of him. An unconscious tease.

After a moment, she looked back up and froze mid bounce when her eyes met his, their faces so close he could feel her breath. The wolf jumped to life, playing with his instincts as it paced. The urge to pin her to the shelf and take her mouth with his hit hard and he barely stopped himself from following it. Instead he clenched his fingers into fists and bit down on the inside of his cheek. Though he did allow himself a deep breath to take in the tempting scents that twisted with hers from the damn mark. Merlin, it was going to kill him if they didn’t find a way to undo the bond soon.

Kat took a step back and turned, taking great interest in the book on how to magically make cheese beside her. It snapped him from his reverie and he turned as well. Bloody hell, he needed to control himself better. He couldn’t let this keep happening, especially once they were at Hogwarts.

“So!” Remus stiffened when she spoke, trying not to cringe at her forced cheerful tone. “You did have some books you wanted me to read, yeah?”

“Yes, yes,” he spat out, straightening his robes and moving towards the set of stairs. “They’re up on the second floor. I’ll show you.”

He rushed through the store, plucking each book he thought would help with her understanding of the subject more and dropping them in her arms without explanation. The need to finish their trip soon pushed him to hurry, leaving the woman quiet and a bit confused. As soon as they paid for their purchases and promised Mr Wood to visit again, he heaved a sigh of relief to step onto the street once more. He took a moment to breath in and make sure everything was firmly under control in his head before opening his eyes to find himself...alone.

Panic sprang up and he whirled around, searching for the small dark haired woman in muggle clothes. Shite, where did she go? His eyes bounced from person to person, feeling his throat close when he didn’t find her. He moved to scan the buildings, hoping to find her through a window inspecting another curious object. Nothing.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” he hissed under his breath, pushing out into the crowd with her trunk in hand. Where could she be? This had been their final stop. He peered about and huffed in relief when he spotted her familiar mass of black curls on the patio outside Fortescue’s, but frowned when he saw another head of black hair, short and messy, standing out at odd angles, beside her.

As he neared, she glanced up and smiled widely. “Remus, there you are.”

His brows dropped in a stern stare, which she just shrugged off. “You disappeared,” he said lowly.

“Yeah, I got a bit lost. This place is confusing. But I made a new friend! Meet Harry,” she said and patted the shoulder of the boy at the table.

Remus grabbed onto the back of her chair at the name, his heart kicking to a dizzy pace when he looked. Oh, Merlin. It was him. Harry Potter. He looked so much like James, it made his eyes burn. But those brilliant emerald eyes behind crooked, round wire glasses were Lily’s. Kind and shy, but intelligent over a hesitant smile.

“‘Lo,” Harry said with a slight wave.

“Hello, Harry,” he breathed, forcing a slight smile of his own. “I hope my friend hasn’t been bothering you.”

The boy opened his mouth, turning pink and glanced at Kat. “Er, no, no. We were just, eh…”

When he trailed off, Kat jumped in. “He was telling me about Quidditch,” she chirped and gestured to the partially disassembled broom on the table beside a half melted ice cream. “Apparently it’s an absolute sin to not know the rules.” She rolled her eyes when Harry nodded vigorously. “It’s not that popular in America. I can’t help it!”

“It’s nothing like Quodpot,” Harry said, shy smile brightening to a grin.

Kat drummed her fingers on the metal table and wrinkled her nose. “Well, you’ll have to tell me more later. We’ll be seeing each other quite a bit, I think.”

Remus fought the urge to smack his forehead at her less than subtle hint. “Do you work in Diagon Alley?” the boy asked curiously.

“Nope! I’m actually this man’s teaching assistant,” she declared and patted Remus’ arm. “Mr Lupin will be your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts!”

Harry blinked in surprise and flushed red. “Oh… Uh, well, it’s nice to meet you, Professor,” he said quickly, ducking his head and nudging his glasses up his nose. “But, how did you know I went to Hogwarts?”

“Your Gryffindor shirt kind of gives it away,” Kat said and laughed when he turned a brighter shade of red. “But it looks like I have to go now.” She pushed herself up from her chair with a huff and straightened her clothes. “See you in a month, Harry?”

“Yeah! It was really great to meet you, Kat,” Harry replied happily, eyes locked on the woman with a sort of awe.

“Oh, I almost forgot. If you have any issues with that book Hagrid sent you, just pet the spine. Puts it right to sleep.”

And with that, Kat wrapped an arm around Remus’ and tugged him away and towards the closest Disapparation point. Remus didn’t think on it, just followed while glancing over his shoulder at Harry who had hunched back over his broom.

“Wha-what the bloody hell was that?” he asked faintly when they turned a corner.

“Harry, Remus,” Kat answered innocently, 

“I know  _ that _ , Katherine,” he growled, a surge of anger pushing up. “What were you doing with him?”

A sigh escaped her as they stopped. “It was an accident, actually. Not that you’ll believe me…” she muttered when he narrowed his eyes at her. “I really did lose you in the crowd. I thought you were following me. But when I stopped to wait, I saw him there. He was just a poor lonely kid and I thought, hell, why not say hi? I didn’t expect it to be  _ him _ .”

Remus only shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose to try and push away the growing headache behind his eyes. Pure chance. He wasn’t sure if he believed it, but it was too late now. Then a thought occurred to him. “Was I supposed to meet him then?”

“Nope,” she said with an impish smile. “Now, let’s go home, Moony.”


	12. Scarlet

“Give me a few of those chocolate bars.”

The words didn’t register right away. Remus blinked wearily at the steaming red engine before them. He hadn’t seen it in fifteen years. The sight was welcoming but he couldn’t seem to drum up the excitement the situation warranted. He’d barely managed a few hours of sleep after his transformation before Kat had shaken him awake, dressed him, and fumbled through Flooing them to the Leaky Cauldron. He was paying for it with it piling up on his aches, but it was necessary.

A hand slid into his robe pocket and he reacted on instinct, smacking his own down over it and growling. “Oh, fuck off, grumpy pants. I said I wanted more of the chocolate!”

Remus blinked again and looked down to find Kat’s fair face scowling up at him. He cleared his throat and offered an apologetic smile. “Apologies. I’m just…”

“Tired. Yeah. I expected as much,” the woman finished with her face softening to an understanding look. “It’s fine. Now, let me take the damn candy.”

He jerked his hand away to let her pull out another two bars that she quickly stashed in her own robe pockets. “What do you need it for?” he asked, returning his gaze to the slowly filling platform.

“Did you forget what I told you yesterday?” she asked and looped her arm through his. Ah, shite. He had, actually. Things tended to get a bit fuzzy while he recovered. At his embarrassed nod, she huffed. “The train is going to be stopped just before it gets to Hogsmeade,” she said, lowering her voice after a glance around. “Dementors. At least one will board the train. The kids’ll need chocolate, I imagine. That helps with recovering from encounters with Dark magic and creatures, right?”

“Er, yes,” he said slowly, glancing back down at her in surprise. Honestly, he shouldn’t be at this point. There were major gaps in her knowledge on the subject, ones that she’d worked tirelessly to fill over the past two months. But she still surprised him at times when she spoke of things as if from experience. Then what she said clicked and he did a double take. “Wait, dementors?”

Kat hissed and jabbed him in the rib with her elbow, making him grunt in pain. “Shit, sorry, but shut up!” she growled, looking around again to make sure no one was listening. “They’re supposed to stay near the school and only guard the entrances, but I’m guessing they’re going to be attracted to the train. I mean, it’s filled with happy little kids. It’s a literal smorgasbord to a dementor. Who wouldn’t want to swoop in for a snack?”

It made sense, but it didn’t leave him feeling any better about it. Dementors anywhere away from Azkaban was a horrible idea. They were notoriously hard to control, even for the Ministry. They were driven only by their need to feed and whoever offered the biggest selection was who they listened to. Hence their changing of sides during the War.

“I really need to learn how to do the Patronus Charm,” Kat muttered as they neared a car towards the end of the train. “Do you think I’ll be strong enough to attempt it soon?”

“I can’t say for sure,” he answered absently and pulled the trolley to a stop. “We need Poppy and Albus to both inspect your core before you attempt anything close to that advanced.”

She heaved out an annoyed sigh, but nodded. “Right, right. Gotta make sure I don’t blow myself up.” The small woman grabbed his old beaten up trunk and heaved it to the ground, then repeated the action with hers. “Well, let’s grab a compartment at the back. Hopefully it’ll be the quietest so you can sleep on the way there.”

He only hummed, focus inwards as he mulled over the dark creatures. The sound of her grunting pulled him from them though. Kat was wobbling with his trunk in her arms, tipping dangerously backwards as she tried to climb the steps up into the car. He lunged forwards and put his hands to her back at her squawk. “Oh, bloody hell, Kat! Let me-”

“Can it!” she snapped and heaved the trunk up. “You can’t do this in your state. I can do it! Fuck, why didn’t you put a feather-light charm on the damn thing?”

“Uhm…”

Kat rolled her eyes and grinned. “Nevermind. Hand me mine, will you?”

He did as she asked before scooping up his briefcase and her odd canvas bag and following her up into the train. It was like stepping into a memory. The corridor along the compartments was still fairly empty but for a few students quietly chatting and casting curious looks at the two adults. Different from what he remembered. Every time he’d been on here before, it was always filled to the brim with bodies and raised voices as everyone wrestled for a spot or tried to find friends.

His friend opened the door to the last compartment and peeked in. “Wow. Swanky digs, man,” she called back to him, flashing a blinding grin. “This is so awesome. I’ve never been on a train like this before.”

Remus smiled and gave a lazy wave to the two trunks. They pulled up to hover a few centimeters off the ground and trailed after him as he went to her. Her brows dropped down at the sight. “Oh, fuck off! You could have done that the whole time?!”

“Yes. I would have gotten them onto the train as well if you hadn’t been so impatient,” he chided, stepping around her and putting the trunks up on the luggage rack easily.

“Meh, meh, meh. Look at me, I’m Remus Lupin and I can do wandless magic!” she mimicked with a pout and crossed her arms. “Smartass.”

“Mmm. You reckon my arse is smart then?” he asked cheekily back.

She swatted at him, making him laugh and jerk away. “How are you even more annoying when you’re tired?” Kat groused, throwing herself in a seat beside the window.

He ignored her comment and sat across from her with a groan. His muscles still ached fiercely. Every movement was difficult with stiff joints. He let his head fall back and closed his eyes, trying to will the pain away. The seat next to him moved and he cracked an eye to find Kat’s worried face close. When he lifted a brow in question, she puffed out her cheeks.

“How are you feeling?” she asked softly, shifting to rest her head beside his.

“Better than normal,” he answered and gave her a smile. “Just a bit knackered.”

That didn’t seem to convince her. Her brows dropped down into a suspicious squint. “Liar. You sound like an old man with your creaking and groaning.”

“I am old, Kat,” he muttered and closed his eyes again.

Cool fingers touched his forehead and he resisted the urge to lean into it. It was hard. Merlin, so hard. After last night, things between them had shifted somehow. Perhaps the wolf had managed to find her scent even in the runed cage. He craved it, the physical contact. It was like a drug.

“Maybe you should have a bit of chocolate now. That helps, right?”

He could only manage a hum in acknowledgement, too busy reveling in the feel of her fingers pushing his fringe back. When they left him, he wanted to grab her hand and put it back. If only he could just lay across the bench and rest his head on her lap, her small fingers running through his hair. He started a bit when something pressed to his lips and the scent of chocolate filled his senses. His mouth opened without thought and groaned when the flavor of the bitter sweet and caramel melted over his tongue. Warmth instantly filled him when he swallowed. The magical properties were doing their job well.

A soft snicker made him crack an eye again. Kat was even closer, a square of chocolate tucked into the corner of her lips and caramel colored eyes dancing with amusement. Another urge swept over him. Gods, he wanted to snog her senseless. To take her mouth with his and let that chocolate melt between their tongues.

The woman reached out and gave his cheek a light pat. “There. You already look a bit better,” she cooed and snapped the chocolate into her mouth. He couldn’t help but stare as her tongue swept back out and cleaned the small smudge of melted sweet from her bottom lip. Those lips pulled into a pouted frown. “Though you still seem a bit out of it. Careful with that. People might think you’re stoned or something.”

With that, she shoved herself up to stand. “Well, I’m going to take a look around. Maybe introduce myself to the Head Boy and Girl. I kinda want to see how the whole prefect thing works,” she said and smoothed her robes out. “You try to get some rest. I’ll be back after their little meeting.”

Remus only managed a slight nod, eyes still locked on her as she exited with a wave. As soon as the compartment door clicked closed, he slammed his eyes closed and smacked his head against the window. Bloody fucking hell. This wasn’t good. He wanted her and for once, it didn’t have anything to do with the wolf’s influence. There was hundreds of reasons as to why it was wrong. It would only complicate things. But that didn’t stop him from picturing the way her hips had looked in those dark red robes. From imagining what it would be like to slide his hands under and hold them.

Bloody, buggering hell.

 

* * *

 

“And that’s all for the meeting. Make sure to check the boards in your Common Room tomorrow for the patrol schedule!”

Kat fought down a yawn as the twenty something students fled from the Prefects coach. She couldn’t blame them in the least. Percy Weasley was possibly the most boring person she’d had the experience of listening to. And that was a lot since she was thirty and had met more people than the boy could even count. The Clearwater girl wasn’t much better. The doe eyes she flashed at the tall and lanky ginger were hard to watch.

She pushed herself up with effort and cursed mentally when the boy turned to her. Fuck everything. Why had she thought it would be a good idea to do this? Oh, right. Because she was technically a teacher of sorts and would have to do nightly patrols just like these little shits.

“Did you have any questions, Ms Jones?” Percy asked, chest puffing up with pride.

“Er, no, no. That was an excellent break down, Mr Weasley,” she said quickly, giving him the best smile she could muster. “It’s good to see how organized you and Miss Clearwater are. The prefects are in good hands. Thank you for letting me sit in on the meeting, both of you.”

“It was a pleasure!” Penelope chirped, flashing a hopeful look at the boy. “It’s amazing to see other countries so interested in our school!”

“Well, Hogwarts is the best,” Kat said through gritted teeth. “I, uh, best be off. I have some plans to go over. I’ll see you in class.”

She didn’t give them a chance to reply and hightailed it out of there. As soon as the door closed behind her, she heaved out a breath and let her fake smile drop. Never again. How had she forgotten  _ Percy _ was the damn Head Boy? The kid had a stick shoved so far up his ass, she was surprised she didn’t see it tickling his tonsils when he spoke.

With a calming intake of air, she set off, dodging students that were poking their heads out compartments and talking amongst themselves. Many turned curious eyes towards her, which she returned with a nod and smile. It was amazing to see. Different but so similar to her own days in school. Some were hunkered down over books and parchment, arguing over summer homework, others were laughing and gesturing about. Though she did have to stop a few candy fights and help a second year who had managed to get his trunk stuck to the ceiling with a misplaced spell.

By the time she managed to make it back to her compartment, it was already occupied, much to her relief. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were huddled up near the door, as far from a sleeping Remus as they could get, talking with serious looks on their faces. She took a moment to watch and enjoy a giddy little fan moment. The ginger and bushy haired girl were much as described. Ron looked like a sun burnt walking stick. His shock of orange hair clashed horribly with his red skin and swath of freckles. Hermione has hair much like her own when she was younger. Frizzy and curly, standing around her head like a six inch halo of chestnut. When she spoke, her rather impressive front teeth peeked out. Right. Those didn’t get fixed until next year.

 But she did need to go in. Hopefully Harry remembered her. Kat straightened her robes out, pushed her hair back, and pulled the door open. The three went silent immediately, head snapping up to gape at her in surprise.

“Hello!” she said cheerfully.

Harry’s green eyes light up and he smiled. “Kat! What are you doing here?” he asked, sitting up and shoving his glasses farther up his nose.

“Going to Hogwarts. What else?” she replied, not bothering to stop her grin. “I see you made it on time. Who are your friends?”

“Oh, uh, this is Ron and Hermione,” he said quickly, gesturing to them and turning a bit pink.

“Well, it’s nice to meet both of you. Is it alright if I take my seat?”

“Oh, yeah, of course!”

The children parted and let her through. Once she settled down in her spot beside the window, she could feel their eyes burning into her. Hermione looked the most curious of them, her brown eyes narrowed but bright.

Kat mentally smacked herself. They had no clue who she was. “I didn’t introduce myself,” she said quickly. “I’m Kat Jones. This man’s-” She pointed to Remus, who mumbled in his sleep and shifted. “-teaching assistant for the year.”

“You’re from America,” Hermione blurted then slapped a hand over her mouth.

“Yup. I guess my accent gave that away,” Kat said, grinning when the girl blushed. “See, I’m here more for learning. Mr Lupin is going to give me a crash course in teaching, but I also want to just learn more about your school. I’m hoping to open my own someday in the States.”

“But why are you on the train?” Ron asked, nose wrinkling up and eyes narrowed.

Kat bit down a laugh. Oh, this was too perfect. Who would have thought she’d ever sit and chat with the Golden Trio? “I wanted to see it,” she answered. “I’ve read so much about the Express and I just had to ride it at least once.”

“They don’t have magical trains in America?”

“I...wouldn’t know,” she said, smile dropping. “I’m muggleborn and the area I live in doesn’t have any witches or wizards. I didn’t even find out about my magic until a few years ago. So this is all kinda...new to me.” Oh, fuck. She was already pulling things out of her ass. Hopefully it didn’t come back and bite her in said ass.

Hermione leaned forward, eyes lighting up even more than before. “Is that why you want to open a school?” the girl asked breathlessly.

Oh, boy. “Eh, yeah. There’s only a handful of schools, but they’re on the far coasts. I wanted to try and open something small in the midwest that people would have easier access to. Maybe a bit less grand,” she said quickly.

“That’s rather wonderful and noble idea. I’m sure it will help a lot of people,” Hermione gushed, making Kat blush.

Jeeze. Now she felt like she needed to actually do what she was lying about. It was a shame there wasn’t any magic in her world. To her knowledge, at least. She glanced between the kids, suddenly feeling a bit uncomfortable with Harry and Hermione both looking at her so intently. But Ron was staring at Remus with a twisted face.

“Er, your mate alright there?” the redhead asked.

“He’s fine,” she said, waving a hand. “He was just up very late last night going over his class plans.” Kat leaned closer to them and grinned. “I’m not surprised, really. He wants to make sure to live up to his own standards. Apparently the Defense professors when he was here were very thorough.”

Harry seemed to jitter in his seat, looking at the man with wide eyes. “He was a student at Hogwarts?”

“Yes! One of the best in his class. Proud Gryffindor Prefect and everything.”

It was so hard not to laugh when all three looked at Remus with impossibly wide eyes. Hopefully their hero worship would stick to him. With their attention averted, she pulled a book from her bag and sat back. It was a good read so far, this  _ Defensive Magical Theory _ . She was on the chapter detailing the inner workings of the shield spell and what exactly made it work to stop physical impacts.

The kids seemed to take the hint and huddled back down to talk with whispered voices. The time seemed to pass quickly, if the blurred scenery was any give away. Though her attempt at getting a good look at the English countryside was soon thwarted as the grey clouds darkened and began to drop rain. What she could see was beautiful. Low rolling hills dotted with homes and small towns giving way to forests, and back again. It made her sad that she’d never had a chance to visit before.

Her attention was pulled from the window when Ron began to gripe over Hermione letting her cat out. The thing was...worse than she’d imagined. His gingery fur was just as unruly as his owner’s hair, standing on end as he stretched and yawned. Sharp yellow eyes in a squashed face locked onto Ron’s pants where his pocket started to wriggle. Oh, shit!  _ Pettigrew _ ! She’d completely forgotten about the little bastard in all the excitement.

The urge to reach into the boy’s pocket and crush the rat’s head was hard to resist. She glanced up and found the cat watching her now. There was a startling amount of intelligence in them. “Well, hello, there, good sir,” she cooed when he sat between her and Ron. The cat rubbed the side of his face against her finger when she held it out to him. “Sweet kitty.”

“Bloody menace is what he is! Already tried to eat Scabbers twice!” Ron spat, putting a protective hand over his own pet.

“Crookshanks is a good cat,” Hermione protested then lowered her voice when Remus stirred. “He can’t help his instincts.”

Kat grinned as the creature climbed onto her lap and curled up, but made sure to face out, eyes still on Scabbers. “He’s part Kneazle, right?” she asked. At Hermione’s nod, she said, “They’re smart. Maybe if you ask nicely, he’ll leave him alone, Ron.”

The ginger only flashed her an incredulous look before hunching down and muttering under his breath. She only caught the words ‘mad’ and ‘bloody Americans’. She resisted commenting on his language and went back to staring out the window, absently petting the warm cat on her lap.

Soon, the compartment door slid open and the plump cheerful face of what Kat assumed to be the trolley witch poked it. “Anything from the trolley, dears?”

Kat stood to peer over Harry and Ron’s heads and felt her mouth drop open at the sight of the loaded cart. It looked about ready to collapse, it had so many different snacks and types of candy stuffed in and on it. Harry glanced up and grinned. “Different, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” she breathed and returned his grin. “Any recommendations?”

“You’ve got to have a Chocolate Frog,” Ron exclaimed, pushing a small paper pentagonal box into her hands. “And Bertie’s-”

“Oh, no!” she yelped, cutting him off. “I have bad luck with those things. I always get earwax and vomit. Could I have two of those sandwiches? And...some Ice Mice.”

She traded a couple of galleons for the food, put the extra sandwich away in case Remus woke up hungry, and bit into her own. Rye with corned beef and lots of mustard. She wasn’t sure if it was magical, but it was pretty good. Once finished, she held up the box with the frog inside. The thing wiggled and jumped about, magically animated. But the sight made her stomach twist a bit. She didn’t really want to eat something that was still kicking… Instead, she shoved it and the squeaking mice into her bag for later.

Time continued to tick by. The rain grew worse, the wind driving it into the side of the train with a vengeance and the sky darkened even more, forcing the lanterns above their heads to flicker on. Kat couldn’t help but feel uneasy the longer she sat. They had to be getting close by now, judging by the now fogged up windows. Her feet tapped restlessly and she wiped at the glass, trying to peer out into the now black landscape.

The moment the train started to slow, her heart leapt into her throat. Oh, fuck. It was time. She jumped to the other bench and shook Remus’ arm. “Remus!” she hissed, ignoring the startled looks from the children. “Remus, wake up!” The werewolf slapped at her hand with a sleepy mumble, but she growled and leaned close, mouth right next to his ear. “The train is stopping! If you don’t wake up right now, you can forget about that backrub I promised you.”

Remus sat upright suddenly, eyelids at varying degrees of open as he looked about. “Wha-what’s going on?” he asked, hand going straight to grasp hers.

“The train’s stopping and we’re not at Hogsmeade yet, Professor,” Hermione said quietly, Crookshanks held tightly in her arms.

The girl calling him Professor seemed to wake him up fully, green eyes going sharp just as the lanterns went out, throwing the entire train into darkness. Screams erupted everywhere, echoing down the corridor outside. The compartment door flew open and closed again, the kids started bickering and tripping over each other. Kat went to stand herself, but Remus tugged her back down.

“Quiet!” he said, voice scratchy from sleep. A moment later, a warm flicker of light grew in his hand. Of course, the handful of flames. Kat glanced about, finding another boy and a redheaded girl added to their compartment. Neville and Ginny, if she remembered correctly. He released his tight hold on her hand and let his wand drop into his own, standing slowly. “Everyone, stay in your seat.”

Just as he reached for the door, it slid open. The air in Kat’s lungs stopped at the sight of the tall hunched figure, ratted black fabric flowing around it as if stirred by a phantom breeze. A dementor. The temperature dropped suddenly as the creature drew in a rattled breath and turned it’s hooded head to look at each person in the compartment. The cold pierced her completely, seeping into her chest and crushing her heart. The joy and excitement disappeared, replaced by the same crippling fear she remembered so well.

She blinked slowly and clutched her hands to her chest. Oh, god. She could feel it. The cold press of metal to the back of her neck, disgusting, whiskey tinged breath in her nostrils, rough hands ripping at her dress. No. Nonono! Not again!

A flash of bright silver light filled the space, but she barely noticed it with her hands now over her face. Every intake of air pained her, burned her lungs, and her skin crawled with past sensations. Violated, invaded, tainted and ruined. Not clean. Never clean. Unwanted. Broken. Broken. Broken!

“Katherine!”

Something hot and textured touched her face and she screamed, flinching away violently. No! Never again! Never again! Please, don’t do it. She’d asked so many times. Pleaded, begged. Why didn’t he ever listen? It wasn’t her fault! It wasn’t!

“Katherine, it’s me. Don’t be afraid.” A soft, gentle voice eased over her, followed by that hot touch again. She forced herself not to pull away, realizing that it wasn’t the same. Different. Right. It was hands, fingers. They pulled her own from her face, sliding over her cheeks and moving in soothing shapes. “Open your eyes.”

She did as the voice said, blinking rapidly to focus. A pair of dark green ones were there and everything came back in a sudden rush. Oh, FUCK! The train, the dementor, Remus, the kids. Her hand came up to cover his.

“I...shit,” she started and hissed when a sudden pain erupted in the back of her head. It turned to a throbbing headache in a heartbeat. One of the hands on her face disappeared, but came back up, pushing chocolate to her mouth. Right. Chocolate fixed it. She snapped it up, chewed, and swallowed as fast as she could. The relief was immediate and she sighed. “Thank you.”

Remus smiled, fingers tightening along her jaw. “Alright now?” She nodded and leaned into his hand before pulling it down. His eyes darkened briefly and he returned the nod as he stood. “Good. I’ll go and check on the other children.”

“I’ll go too,” she said quickly, grabbing onto the sleeve of his robe to pull herself up.

“I think you might be more needed here,” he said, looking over the compartment. She followed his gaze and slapped a hand to her forehead. Harry was a pale quivering mess between Ron and Hermione, Ginny was crying quietly in the corner, and Neville sat bolt upright, skin white but for two bright splotches of red on his cheeks.

“Of course. Oh, here!” She pulled the extra bars of chocolate from her pocket and pushed them into his hand. “You’ll need them more.”

He gave her one last warm smile then swept out into the corridor. Kat closed the door behind him and pulled the remaining two bars out. The kids needed chocolate. She broke a big piece off and knelt before Harry. His eyes were glazed behind crooked glasses, though they lifted to her.

“Wha-what was that, Kat?” he croaked.

“A dementor,” she said quietly and brushed sweat soaked hair from his forehead. “They normally guard Azkaban, but they’re out here to try and search for Black.” She pushed the chocolate into his shaking hand. “Eat this. It will make you feel a million times better.” At his wary look, she smiled. “Trust me, Harry.”

He gave a nod and stuffed half into his mouth, the color returning to his face right away. Once he was taken care of, she broke the bar more and gave some to Hermione, Ron, and Neville. But Ginny, she saved for last. The girl had been through just as much, if not more the last year than even Harry.

Kat sat beside her and gently rested her hand on the girl’s arm. “Ginny,” she whispered. The touch was enough and she threw herself at Kat, small arms wrapping around her middle and face buried in her chest. Her heart hurt as sobs shook the girl’s frame. She leaned down and put her cheek to the top of her head, whispering, “It’s alright, Ginny. He’s gone. He will never get to you again. I promise.”

Her face lifted at her words, freckles standing out against white skin and brown eyes wide. “How...how do you-”

Kat shook her head and wiped a wet trail from her cheek. “It’s a secret. But I can promise you this. No one will ever make you do something you don’t want to ever again. You are strong. Believe in that.”

Ginny’s eyes wavered for a moment before brightening, brows dropping in a determined slant. “Right. I’m strong.”

“Now, eat this. It will make it easier.” The girl ate the offered chocolate quickly and gave Kat a thankful smile. “If you ever need to talk about it, you can always come to me,” she said, letting go to give her some space. “I’ve been through...similar things.”

Someone cleared their throat and she looked up. Her smile dropped at the worried and slightly angry look on a certain werewolf’s face as he stood in the doorway. Well, shit.


	13. Hoggy Warty Hogwarts

The air in the carriage was tense. Well, it was for Remus, at least. He sat and watched as Kat peered out the water streaked window, trying to make out anything she could and frowning at the lack of success. But that wasn’t what was on his mind. No. No, it was the moment on the train. Finding her holding the redheaded girl and comforting her. A whispered conversation that wasn’t meant to be overheard. Sharing the pain of trauma from the way their eyes had both been so filled with the shadows of fear.

The temptation was there in the back of his head. He wanted to ask, but that would not end well in any situation. While open with her actions, Kat kept her what history she hadn't already told him well guarded. Remus pushed the whispered conversation the woman had had with the small girl to the back of his mind. Instead, he watched her eyes glimmer with amazement as they stepped out of their carriage. Her joy outshone even that of a first year. As she’d always said, it was a dream come true. One she’d had for twenty years.

“It’s beautiful,” Kat whispered, stopping in the middle of the roughly cobbled path to stare up at the castle. A terrible idea considering the icy rain pouring down around them.

Remus put a hand on the small of her back and nudged her forward. “Yes, yes,” he said breathlessly, ducking to keep the water from his eyes. “But we really should go inside. You’ll catch a cold.”

The small woman snorted, but allowed him to guide her along through the swiftly moving stream of students. “That’s a myth, you know,” she said and wrinkled her nose. “Getting too cold or wet doesn’t make you any more likely to get sick. I read an article on it last year.”

Of course she had. She was filled with so much random knowledge, he expected her to correct him every time he spoke of most things. Endearing, but a bit frustrating. He ignored the comment and ushered her through the Entrance Hall. Again, she tried to stop and stare, ignoring the odd looks from those moving around them.

He steered her away from the marble staircase when she tried to run a hand over a railing and into an alcove near the Great Hall. At her noises of protest, he ducked down and took her shoulders in both his hands when she kept trying to look around. A poor idea on his end. Merlin, she looked almost ethereal. Nose and cheeks pink with the cold, drops of water lingering on her eyelashes, and wet black hair curling and sticking to her skin. He dropped his hands and drew in a breath to calm himself before speaking.

“Kat, I understand that this is all...overwhelming for you, but you’ve got to reign it in a bit.” At her confused frown, he sighed. “You’re acting like a first year. Remember, you’re a teacher.”

She smacked a hand to her forehead and cursed quietly. “Right, right. Shit, sorry. I just-I can’t help it! Moving, talking paintings, floating candles, a fucking castle, Remus! A CASTLE! I’ve only seen pictures of old abandoned ruins, much less step into one that is so alive!” He smiled as she spun around slightly, waving her hands. A nearby painting seemed to take offense and moved from the frame with a huff. “Just give me a minute to be excited, yeah?”

Remus peeked out of the alcove, seeing the stream of students still moving. No first years in sight. They had time still. “Alright. Marvel away. But first, let me just-” He let his wand drop down into his grasp and waved it over her with a muttered _Tergeo_. Her hair and robes dried instantly, making her coo and pat herself. He repeated it on himself, feeling a bit better to be dry.

Kat took his word to heart and pulled away, going to another painting nearby. This one was of a man in medieval style clothes sitting at a desk and scribbling away with a rather long quill. He followed slowly, watching as she tried to catch his attention. She waved and called, hopping up and down to try and get eye level with him. While it did work, the painting didn’t appreciate it, snapping out at her in Latin before turning his back to her.

“Most of the paintings don’t like to bothered. Get a bit grumpy,” he said quietly when she gave him a defeated look.

“That’s boring,” she muttered, nose wrinkling in annoyance. “Well, enough of me being an idiot. Let’s go be proper adults!”

It was hard not to laugh as she tilted her chin up and put on airs. The look broke as soon as he did and she rolled her eyes. Remus cleared his throat, straightened up, and offered her his arm. “Right. Well, shall we, Ms Jones?”

Kat rested her hand on his arm with a bright smile. “Yes, we shall, Mr Lupin,” she replied with a surprisingly good West Country accent.

They stepped out and merged into the last few students hurrying into the hall. As they walked and were gaped at, he leaned down and teased in a whisper, “I didn’t know you could speak properly.”

“I speak a lot of different ways, Remus,” she replied back, this time with a thick Cockney accent, and flashed a smile when the small ginger girl from the train waved from the Gryffindor table. “I have an idea for a little prank though.”

Oh, gods, no. He’d barely been inside the castle for five minutes and already he felt like a teenager again. Though instead of James and Sirius pulling something, it was her. “Kat, don’t you dare,” he hissed.

“It’s nothing bad,” she whispered back. “Just try not to react when I talk.”

He opened his mouth to reply, but snapped it shut when they arrived at the long staff table at the back of the hall. There were two spots open between Professor Sprout and...Snape. Remus fought down the frown that wanted to pull at his mouth. Fifteen years. Fifteen long years since he’d seen that sour, drawn sneer and greasy hair. They felt much too short now that he was in the man’s presence again.

Kat took it in stride, letting go of his arm and taking the seat beside Snape without any hesitation, then flicked her eyes to the spot beside her and wiggled her brows. While it was kind of her to make herself a buffer between them, he felt a stone of dread settle into his stomach as he sat down. This was not going to end well. He could just feel it.

Barely a minute went by before the woman turned to Snape with a stern face. “Good evening, Master Snape,” she said curtly with an odd drawn out accent, then turned right back to the front. Nothing more and nothing less. It took everything in Remus not to crack at the startled look on the man’s face. It was priceless.

He could tell she was itching to do something else from the way her mouth kept twitching slight at the corners, but the chance was taken from her as Flitwi - _Filius_ swept in with the gaggle of first years behind him. His brows dropped and he leaned forward, finding Mcgonagall’s seat empty. Extremely odd. The stern woman had never missed a sorting for as long as he’d been here.

A hand latching onto his arm pulled his attention over to an excited Kat. She practically vibrated in her seat with excitement as she looked down at the nervous looking children. It grew even worse when the Sorting Hat was brought out. She gasped softly during the hat’s song and clapped the loudest when the first one was sorted into Hufflepuff, beaming happily. Remus smiled when she leaned closer to him, hand sliding up to wrap her arm around his. The wolf was still quiet, he couldn’t help be feel rather pleased to have her so close.

While the joy stayed for each student, they both grew somber when Dumbledore stood and began to speak to the hall of the dementors and their purpose at the school. Her fingers dug into him then she pulled away, seeming to retreat within herself. At his glance, he found her staring forward, but not seeing and hands clutched tightly in her lap. The creatures had affected her more than he’d realized.

“On a happier note, I am pleased to welcome three new teachers to our ranks this year.” Remus returned his focus to the Headmaster and swallowed when the man gestured to him. “First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.”

There was very little applause, most students heads ducked down to whisper amongst themselves or others with pale faces that only showed dementor exposure. Though the loudest came from Harry and the few children that had been in the compartment with them.

“As well, we have Ms Jones,” Dumbledore continued. Kat started at her name, blinking rapidly as if waking up. “She has joined us from America to learn herself. She shall be assisting Professor Lupin in teaching, but also will be observing how our fine school functions. Please show her the courtesy you would any member of our staff and don’t be afraid to answer any questions she may ask.”

More applause, but also a number of heads turned to look at the small woman who managed a small smile and wave. He couldn’t blame the curious and confused looks. It wasn’t everyday that a foreigner stepped foot in the castle, much less one that would be apart of the staff. Though more than a few of the older boys had a look he knew all too well.

“And our last new appointment… Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties.”

That gained a veritable uproar compared to what he and Kat had received. One that he gladly join in, leaning forward to smile as the half giant turn bright red and bowed his head bashfully. He deserved the position and more. No one knew how to care for magical creatures quite like Hagrid.

“Can you introduce me to Hagrid after the feast?” Remus looked down and nodded to Kat who was leaning forward as well. The glazed look had disappeared from her eyes and she seemed just as happy to see the large man tear up. “He seems so sweet,” she whispered.

“Hagrid is one of the best,” Remus murmured and grinned when she gasped and clapped happily at the plates around them filling with food.

The feast was relaxed, the tense air in the hall giving way to the soft roar of conversation, laughter, and clatter of silverware. The uncomfortable feeling of sitting at the staff table faded as he chatted with Pomona and Kat, who for some reason was keeping up her strange drawn out drawl. The American witch also bubbled with more questions, asking about almost every dish and gaining a determined glint to her eye as she tasted each thing.

When he asked her as to why she was so interested, she laughed and answered, “My experience with food from the UK is only cottage pie and fish ‘n chips. I want to learn how to make all of this! I mean, what is this?” She pointed at a platter.

Remus looked into the sausages baked into yorkshire pudding and suppressed a grin. “Toad in the Hole.”

“What?” she asked incredulously, face wrinkling up.

“It’s called Toad in the Hole,” he said again and laughed when she sputtered.

“Why in the hell would you call food that?! That makes it sound horrible!”

“I honestly have no clue as to how it got its name. But it’s quite good.”

“Yeah, it is. But the name is just - ugh.”

She was no better when the pudding appeared, trying everything until she settled back with a happy sigh. The chocolate and toffee had been just what she needed, returning the color to her cheeks. Soon the hall was emptying after Dumbledore’s last words. Remus led Kat over to where Hagrid stood with a semicircle of students before him and was surprised when they turned out to be Harry and his two friends.

“Kat!” the bespectacled boy said happily.

“Hello,” she said, smiling warmly to each of the three. “You look like you’re feeling better, Harry.”

A faint scowl of embarrassment pulled at his features. “Yeah. Thanks for the chocolate, by the way.”

“Not a problem at all. Now!” The small woman stepped up to Hagrid and held up her hand. “I hear congratulations are in order for you, Mr Hagrid.”

“Oh, well, thank yeh,” the man said, beaming proudly and shook her entire arm. “Yer Ms Jones?”

“Yup! But you can call me Kat. I hope you won’t mind if I stop by sometime to see a class. I’ve never had a chance to see any magical creatures before. Remus tells me you’re the best there is with them.”

The mention of his name brought Hagrid attention over her head and the man lit up brighter than before. “Remus!” he boomed, reaching over to clap a huge hand to his shoulder. “Look at yeh! Back a’ Hogwarts an’ a professor at tha! I knew yeh would do it one deh!”

“It’s good to see you, Hagrid,” Remus grunted out, feeling his still aching knee buckle slightly under the heavy touch.

“The both of yeh will have to come by me cabin and have a cuppa soon.”

“Of course,” Kat said, eyes pinching as she looked at Remus with concern. “But I’m a bit tired. Maybe we can pick a time later?”

“Oh, ah course, ah course. Have a good nigh’.”

Kat hooked her arm with Remus’ and flashed Hagrid a smile. “You as well.”

Before he could blink, she was tugging him out the door behind the staff table, only stopping once they were down the corridor and away from the noise. She leaned up onto her toes and took his face in her hands, face scrunched up with worry. “Goddamnit, I’m an idiot. I got so caught up in the excitement and - You look about ready to keel over.”

“I’m fine, Kat,” he said tiredly as she tilted his jaw to get a better look at him. Merlin, she was worse than his mam had ever been after a full moon. He pulled her hands down and managed a smile. “Let’s just go see what Albus has ready for us quarters wise.”

Her mouth twisted and eyes narrowed. “Okay, but you should go to-”

Not wanting for her to pile up more mild, but endearing, nagging, he put a hand to her back and led her back towards the main stairs. Thankfully she took the hint and kept her comments to herself, though much of that had to do with her attention jumping to the hundreds of paintings lining the walls and moving staircases as they climbed to the third floor. It took four failed attempts of speaking with paintings, two short conversations with ghosts, and one missed turn before they found the DADA teacher quarters.

Remus frowned at the single door, looking around for a second. This couldn’t be right. Albus didn’t...that bloody man better not expect them to share a room. Merlin, it would be too much for him, to be that close to her and not be able to… Shite, he knew the man had been much too interested in the bond between them, but to pull something like this. What was he thinking?

Kat had the door open and strutted right in. “Wow! It’s just like a Common Room!” she exclaimed, poking her head back out with a smile.

“What?” He followed her in and stopped dead.

It _was_ like a Common Room. The Gryffindor one, to be exact. The small circular room was splashed in ornate red tapestries and curtains, more red on the floor, golden and dark brown chairs and sofa crowded around a large flaming fireplace, and the mantel had a large sculpture of a lion with a ticking clock in its mouth atop it. Warm, cozy, and much to Kat’s delight, had plenty of windows facing over the lake, Whomping Willow, and part of the forest.

Four doors were spaced around the back wall. A peek inside showed one led to the DADA office, a bathroom and two bedrooms, trunks already pushed up before each extravagant bed. The place was set up like a bloody dorm, alright. A relief, really. Close to her, but not close enough that he wouldn’t be able to stay away if needed. Something he felt would be very necessary as the year progressed.

“Who brought up our trunks?” Kat called out as he stepped into his own room to inspect it.

“The house elves,” he replied and grinned at the shout she let out.

“I forgot about them! Oh, shit, I’ve got to meet one!”

A loud clatter made he poke his head out and find the woman hopping around as she pulled on a pair of jeans and bumping into a candle stand. “Merlin, Kat!” he groaned, slapping a hand over his eyes when they wandered to her arse. One that looked rather nice in her simple white knickers.

“Oh, shut up,” she laughed and wiggled the trousers up. “It’s not like you haven’t seen my butt already.” She wasn’t wrong, but at the time, it had been the last thing on his mind. The sight of her passed out in her shower, blood leaking from her shoulder, had been more than enough to distract from the fact that she’d been naked.

But now, no. Once she had the trousers up and buttoned, he realized that they were rather revealing. Well used with wear holes in the knees, but also completely skin tight. Ignoring his own appreciation, he said, “Please don’t tell me you’re actually wearing those outside of this room.” When she flashed him a confused look, he sighed. “Perhaps it’s how fashion is for you, but here, they’re rather... scandalous.”

“These aren’t anymore _scandalous_ than the amount of teenagers making out in broom closets.” Next came her robes, now looking less formal over a t-shirt with a dead cartoon mouse head. “Speaking of - Did anyone mention how the professor patrols are handled?”

Remus pursed his lips and leaned against the door jam to watch her pull her hair up into a high tail. “It’s only two a night and any time after ten. I believe Severus and Minerva are out tonight.”

She hummed and fished her wand out then jammed it into the tail. “And first class tomorrow is...ten o’clock. Fifth year Ravenclaw and Gryffindors.”

“Yes. Where are you off to?” he asked, frowning when she went to open the door.

“The kitchens!” she chirped, “I want to see the elves.”

His brows rose up at that. “You know where they are?”

“Painting of a bowl of fruit near the Hufflepuff Common Room. Tickle the pear,” she said impatiently. He opened his mouth to ask if she even knew how to get there, but she held up a hand. “I don’t know when I’ll be back, but I’ll bring you a plate of that sticky toffee pudding for you. Later!”

The door closed behind her before he even had a chance to protest. Bollocks. He could only hope she didn’t get lost. Brushing aside Kat’s hasty escape to explore, he went about unpacking his things. A few flicks of his wand had all his clothes put up, books shelved in the office and class, and paperwork tucked into his desk. The classroom itself was bare but for a few leftover books and odd magical objects. The sight was dull. He didn’t want to bore his students to death.

Thankful that Kat had convinced him to pack more than just the essentials, he sent the rest of his things about the room, populating it with various curiosities he’d picked up through his travels. Soon, it was looking a bit more lived in, exciting, perhaps. But it needed one last thing. He set up the old phonograph and tucked the box of only his records nearby. Best to leave the later dated ones in the common area.

A soft knock on the classroom door had him frowning. Who would be here at such a time and on the first night? At his call to enter, his surprised died at the sight of the tall Headmaster. “Evening, Albus,” he greeted, leaning against the podium behind him.

“Hello, Remus,” Dumbledore replied, a serene smile on his face as he gazed about. “My, what you’ve done with the place already. A welcome change from Mr Lockhart’s decorating skills.”

“I’m sure anything is a step up from that pillock,” Remus said dryly, crossing his arms and smiling. “What can I help you with?”

The old wizard didn’t answer right away. Instead he meandered around, peering at scopes, dark magic detectors, the few odd magical masks on the wall. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for Dumbledore to take his time on starting a conversation. After another minute, he finally turned and folded his hands behind his back. “I’ve received a reply from Mr Pelling,” he said, blue eyes losing their glint in the dim light. “He shall be here within the month.”

Remus sucked in a breath through his teeth and nodded. “And he knows about my…”

“Yes. He is aware of your affliction and will keep it to himself. He is most interested in how it may be influencing the curse.”

“Curse?” Surprise jolted through him. “What do you mean curse?”

“I believe that Ms Jones is under the effect of a curse or spell of sorts. It is clear that she is a witch as she is able to use her wand to some extent, but she does not... _feel_ as one,” Dumbledore said slowly, smiling fading.

Feel? What was that supposed to mean? “I don’t think I understand,” Remus said, frowning.

“It is a difficult thing to explain, my boy. There is a skill that I’ve slowly learned over the years. It allows me to see or sense the...strength of magic. Those with magical blood have a certain aura about them, to use a general term. I am not certain if it is ambient energy drawn to the power or perhaps a leaking of excess magic, but it is possible to sense it. Ms Jones lacks one. It makes her usage of magic baffling.”

The thought was staggering. Remus ran a hand through his hair, stopping part way through to fist a handful. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard of magical folk having an aura. It was not something everyone could see, but knew of. What was baffling was to find someone that didn’t have one but could still use magic. Witches and wizards had to release magic somehow. Usually, the use of spells every day was more than enough, but over time, with no use, it would being to leak.

Kat hadn’t used any magic until just a month ago. She should have been leaking magic constantly, blowing out electronics and accidental magical bursts. But there was nothing. Not even a trickle. The amount of implications that fact alone led to was almost too much to fathom. But try to fathom, he did. Just as he began to roll the idea around, a soft laugh brought his attention back up.

Dumbledore stepped around the first line of desks and looked down his crooked nose at Remus. “Intriguing, is it not?”

Remus sighed and let go of his hair. “Er, yes, but… What does this mean for Kat? Is this going to impede her use of magic?”

“I cannot say. Though I do believe your bond with her may have something to do with it. Mr Pelling will be the best to find out just what. Until then, it would be best if she refrained from using any advanced spellwork.”

“She won’t be happy to hear that, but I agree with you on it. I’ll speak with her when she retur-”

“She is not to know.”

Remus’ brows dropped at that. “What? Albus, you surely can’t mean to keep this from her. She has a right to-”

Again, Dumbledore cut him off sharply, speaking while taking to pacing before him. “There is too much at stake. I would have her stay focused on other things. Has she discussed anything else of the future with you?”

“No,” he answered shortly. The tone and abrupt change of topic didn’t sit well with him or the wolf. His instincts trembled against his hold. They wanted to react to the underlying tension that involved his- the wolf’s possible mate. “She wants to leave things be for now. That it would give us the best chance to find Peter if things go the way they were meant to. The only time she’ll intervene is if her own presence causes problems.”

The old wizard stopped with his back to him and nodded. “Perfectly reasonable.” There was a pause as he turned back slowly, face set in a more stern expression. “I must ask, Remus. Has he tried to reach out to you?”

Remus swallowed down the wave of emotions at the mention of Sirius and shook his head. “No. Nothing.” It was something that confused him. If Sirius was truly innocent like Kat said, wouldn’t he have tried to contact him by now?

“Most peculiar,” Dumbledore murmured then smiled. “Perhaps it is for the best. Well, I must be off. I shall send word when a date is set for Mr Pelling’s visit. Have a good evening, Remus.”

“You as well, Albus,” Remus replied quietly and watched the door close behind Dumbledore.

Alone again. Bloody hell. This just got more and more complicated every day. Remus leaned heavily against the podium and rubbed his face roughly. He wasn’t sure what to think of it all anymore. There was just so much! Strangers with no magic, his returning past, and the constant threat of the future looming over it all. A future with Voldemort returning, of a second war. And it was all tied to Kat. The fates had it out for him.


	14. Orange and Black

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit delayed, but I blame my catching the plague. Mostly recovered now. :]

Sweet fucking jesus. There was no way she could do this. There were so many of them. They were all whispering and looking around, but more than a few were staring at her outright. She felt like an animal in a zoo. But what else did she expect? New, from America, and probably the first situation of a teaching assistant in Hogwarts in years, if _ever_. Kat managed not to grimace as the Weasley twins sat down at the back with Lee Jordan and promptly ducked their heads together to whisper. That couldn’t be good in any way, shape, or form.

“Why do you look like you’ve eaten an entire pack of acid pops?”

She glanced over her shoulder and pulled a face at Remus. “Do you really have to ask that question? It’s the first day, first class! Oh, god, I’m so nervous,” she moaned, putting her back to the kids and rubbing her forehead. “And the fucking Weasley twins are in this class!”

The werewolf smiled and shuffled through the stack of papers in his hands. “And what, exactly, is so terrible about them?”

“They’re following in the Marauders’ footsteps,” she said quietly and snorted when he paused and looked up at her with wide eyes. “You might be interested to know that they have the map as well. Stole it out of Filch’s office.”

Remus’ eyes grew even wider and pinched his lips closed tightly to stop himself from laughing. “You know about that?” he whispered after a moment.

“Of course I do. It’s an impressive piece of magic. But we need to keep an eye on them. Act like you’re McGonagall and they’re James and Sirius.” Kat glanced back and narrowed her eyes when she saw those double red heads turned towards the front of the classroom.

“I don’t think I can manage that stern of a look,” he said, giving in and grinning.

Kat rolled her eyes. “You do a pretty good job when you get mad at me,” she muttered and straightened her teaching robes.

Ignoring Remus’ snicker, she turned and stepped back to stand to the side and behind him. The bell rang in the distance, though the class hadn’t quieted down fully. Well, the Gryffindors hadn’t at least. The Ravenclaws all had their books out but for a handful.

“Good morning,” Remus called, stepped up behind the podium and gave the room a warm smile. The class went silent almost instantly. Excitement seemed to make the air crackle. Or that could be the squeaking of the chairs in the back as the twins wiggled in their seats. “As I hope you all remember, I am Professor Lupin and this is my assistant, Ms Jones.”

Kat gave a slight wave and flushed when all those eyes went to her. Oh jeeze. “Now, I’ve realized that due to unfortunate circumstances, you are a bit behind on the curriculum. But worry not. We’ll make sure you know everything you need for your OWLs. For now, I felt it might be best to find out just what you  _ do _ know. So-” Remus gestured to Kat and she grabbed up a stack of parchment. “I have a short test for you to take.”

There was a chorus of groans in response, ones Remus just smiled sympathetically at them. “Yes, yes. I know. Torturous, but necessary. I made this as painless as possible, I assure you. Kat, if you would.”

Painless, he says. Their faces said otherwise. She couldn’t help but laugh silently at the sour grimaces each one made as she set the papers face down on each desk. Lee looked like he was trying to set his on fire by glaring at it. With everything passed out, Remus set their time at forty-five minutes, then they settled back to sort out the tests for the next class.

The minutes went by faster than she’d thought they would. Soon the tests were summoned back, set aside, and Remus moved to stand before the podium with that amused half smile quirking up one side of his mouth. The many faces looking back were a mix of satisfaction and distaste. “I hope you all put your best effort forth on that,” he said drolly and leaned against the wood with his arms crossed. There was a smattering of grumbles in answer, but they only seemed to make his mouth curl into a full smile. “Understandable. Well!” He straightened and gave his hands a clap. “I believe you all earned a break. We’ll end class early today.”

It was like a switch had flipped. The grumpy faces all turned to bright beams of joy. Many scrambled to throw everything in their bags, already set to bolt. “Make sure to be ready for notes next class,” Remus called over the noise and shook his head when it was obviously ignored.

Kat smiled to herself and watched as a few Ravenclaws came up and began to chat with the man. Though a flash of orange caught her eye. She carefully took a few steps to the side and saw the Weasley twins approached with a box in their hands. But they weren’t going for Remus. Oh, no. They had both sets of brown eyes locked onto her. Joy.

“Hello,” she said, fighting to keep her face blank and not at all suspicious. “What can I do for you two?”

One of the twins stepped up and gave her the most devious smirk she’d ever seen. “Oh, nothing, Ms Jones. We just wanted to give you and Professor Lupin a gift to welcome you to the school.”

The other jumped up and held the box out, which she took carefully. God forbid it exploded in her hands. “That’s very nice of you…?” She trailed off, pointedly look from one to the other.

“Fred-”

“And George Weasley-”

“At your service-”

“Most honorable Kat.”

Well...Kat blinked and laughed. She’d never been around twins before, much less people that could so seamlessly split sentences like that. Then she frowned at the name they’d used. “How do you know my nam-”

“Ginny told us,” George said quickly and they gave each other rather serious looks. “And about what happened on the train.”

“Oh…” Sadness welled up at the thought of the poor girl. It was something that hadn’t really been brought up in the books. No one could have gone through what Ginny did and not have some sort of issues with it. At least she was speaking to her family about it. Kat pulled in a deep breath through her nose and nodded. “How is she doing?”

“Better. Wouldn’t shut her gob about you all last night,” Fred groused this time, but they both seemed to relax. “Also seemed keen on making sure we didn’t give you our normal welcoming surprise.”

She grinned at that. “What a shame. And was looking forward to seeing what it might be after what McGonagall told me.”

“Well…” Those wicked smiles were back and another box was brought out, much more colorful than the other. “We did bring it along just in case you turned out to be a right cun-” Fred’s words were cut off with an elbow to the ribs from his brother, pulling a grunt and dark look from him.

Kat lifted a brow and took the other box, even more careful with it than the last one. “Uh huh. And should I be near the Hospital Wing when I open this?”

Again the two traded looks, communicating silently with wiggled brows, then shrugged. “Shouldn’t need that. Though I’m sure Poppy-” George started.

“Is just dying to see more of what we managed to whip up over the summer. She and Minnie are big fans of ours, I assure you,” Fred finished, flashing that devious smirk.

As highly unlikely that is, she just shook her head and put the box down beside the other. “Of course they are,” she laughed, “Well, thank you. I look forward to a big Weasley surprise.”

They both snickered. “See ya later,  _ Ms Jones _ ,” they said in unison with a jaunty salute, and strutted out of the room.

“Should I ask?”

Kat looked to the side and gave Remus a smile. “They gave us welcoming gifts,” she answered, gesturing to the boxes. “One is a Weasley twin special, the other a normal one Ginny bullied them into giving.”

“Just how many Weasleys are there?” he muttered, picking up the more colorful one with a curious look.

“In Hogwarts? Five. And be careful with that. Lord knows what they hid in it,” she said with a grin and snatched up the plan box. Inside was an array of candy and she was thankful she recognized most of them. Plenty of chocolate, most likely to repay all the ones they gave out yesterday on the train. She picked out a liquorice wand and lifted it up for bite, but froze when she saw Remus go to open his box. “Remus, WAIT-”

The silly man had ignored her warning and as soon as the lid was lifted, the entire box exploded. Kat slammed her eyes closed just as a flurry of something hit her in the face with a resounding  _ bang _ . There was a light fluttering against her cheeks and a ringing in her ears as she cautiously cracked an eye.

She had to give it to them, the twins were imaginative. The entire classroom as covered with paper confetti in a rainbow of colors. Even more of it stayed in the air, swooping and sweeping around in an invisible wind until they settled into the words ‘WELCOME!’, hovering up near the ceiling. She looked to the side and burst into laughter as Remus stood stiffly, his entire face coated in a layer of confetti with only his wide eyes free and glaring at the box in his hands.

“I-I told you-” she choked out around her snorts, “I warned you!”

For a moment, he didn’t answer, just dropping the singed box and patting at his face. Then she heard a muffled grumble and realized that maybe he needed help. She stepped in front of him, pushing away his hands, and reached up to see his mouth sealed. Oh, god, it was just too much. She did her best to stifle her giggles and carefully picked the pieces from his lips. As soon as they were gone, he ripped his mouth open with a loud gasp of air and a curse.

“Merlin’s bollocks!” When her laughter continued, he glared at her and gave the box a kick, sending it skidding under the podium. “Yes, very funny…”

“Oh, come on!” Kat teased, reached up and peeling more paper from his cheek. “You have to admit, it was good.”

He grumbled under his breath and started on his other cheek. “Creative, I’ll give them that.”

“Not used to being on the other end of pranks, Moony?” she crooned and grinned when he gave her another glare.

A sigh and eye roll was her answer. “Oh, no. I have quite a few times. James and-” He stopped and his mouth pull tight. “I reckon I’m just getting surly in my old age.”

It was impossible not to notice the less than subtle pause and she felt for him. Even with everything, he still couldn’t seem to talk about Sirius. Their eyes met and the dark green softened a bit over the slightest smile. So focused on the sadness there, she jumped when he lifted a hand up and ran a thumb over her cheek. The gentle touch sent one of those weird hot waves through her, knocking the breath from her lungs.

“You have a - eh, bit here…” he said quietly, pulling his hand away and turning a red.

“Oh, thanks,” she mumbled, stepping back and rubbing at it. Shit. Not good.

The urge to run away hit her and she gave in to it. Without a word, she turned and fled to the office and through to their quarters. As soon as the bathroom door closed behind her, she leaned against it with a heavy sigh and rubbed hard at her face to try and clear her thoughts. Not that it worked. They buzzed around in a flurry, going too fast for her to make any sense of it.

It had been...what, three months now, if you counted the first odd weeks she’d been locked up. Three measly months that had flown by. And in that time, she had come to consider him a friend. Weird, considering she didn’t really know him that well. Personally, at least. The basics from the books and short stories, but that was it. She’d made an effort to get to know him better in the short times between his long shifts at whatever job he managed to find, but whenever things became relaxed and topics touched more personal things, he seemed to shut down. Then the last month had been all studies, classes, and information, which he’d thrown himself fully into and ignored everything else.

The constant change in his attitude was dizzying and frustrating, but she did her best to ignore it. This was Remus, after all. Terrified of getting too close to anyone. It had to be much worse after the first war. It would take time to get past his self imposed barriers.

She shoved that to the back of her head as quickly as it had popped up. She pushed over to the sink and stared at her own face in the mirror. Her nose crinkled up as she grimaced at her reflection, taking in the confetti plastered to her skin. Each one peeled off easily enough, though they left the slightest outline of orange and pink, the paper staining her skin. A badge to show the twins, she supposed.

With one last inspection, she straightened her robes, and locked away every little annoying worry and anxiety. Regardless of what she thought, she had a job to do. People to watch, trust to gain, big black dogs to protect, and nasty little rats to capture. If Remus fucking Lupin didn’t want to be her friend, so be it.

The rest of the day went smoother, much to her relief. After the awkward moment in the morning, Remus had kept himself distant. Only offering slight smiles and spoke to her when it was needed. She tried hard not to let it bother her. The following three classes flew by and soon Kat and Remus were settled in the office, going over tests. Well, he had duplicated all of them and gave a stack to her. A ‘test’ for her as well. She would grade her tests and he would look over them to make sure she wasn’t missing anything or have information mixed up. It was a bit more difficult than she’d thought and ended up with every defense book she’d brought around her as she double and triple checked every answer.

“Shite,” Remus cursed quietly. She looked to find him scowling and shoving at his hair while hunched over the seventh year tests.

“Bad?” she asked and went back to the ones from the second years’.

“Horrid. I know that they didn’t learn much last year but this…”

“They didn’t learn  _ anything _ last year,” she corrected and marked an answer with red ink. “Did you know that Lockhart didn’t actually do anything in the books he wrote?”

He nodded and leaned his jaw against his palm. “Minerva told me. I just don’t understand how it could be  _ this _ bad.”

Kat snorted and copied his pose. “The man only talked about himself. Almost all of his tests were about him. What is my favorite color? What style of robes did I wear in this book? Blah, blah,  _ BLAH _ ! You’d call him an...insufferable prick, I think.”

That pulled a laugh from the man. She smiled and enjoyed the way it lit up his face. Fuck, why did he have to be so good looking? Sure, he was a bit prematurely aged, but it suited him. That distinguished, wise look. It went with his new profession. He would be a very fine silver fox in another ten years. Or was it silver wolf? Ha. It was a shame he avoided women that showed any interest like the plague.

No point in thinking on it. He was Remus Lupin. Destined to have a beautiful bouncing baby boy with one Nymphadora Tonks nee Lupin. He would be happy. She’d make sure that both survived the final battle and could move on to be the best couple they could be. The thought was like a bucket of cold water on her casual admiration. Stupid. She needed to stop thinking that shit. It would get her nowhere.

So she turned back to her tests with a quiet sigh. The question at the top of the page was easy enough, but the answer beneath made her cringe.  _ In what situation would the spell with incantation of  _ Expelliarmus _ have the most use? _ The kid had written that it was great for making your friends dance. Dance? It was a fucking disarming spell! Even she could figure that out off the Latin alone. This was going to take a while...

 

* * *

 

Step, swing. Step, twist, swing. Sidle, twist, slash, step, block.

Each movement was precise. Hands snapped to place without hesitation, metal cutting through the air with low whooshes. Her muscles were aching, sweating running down her forehead as her body tried to keep up with the actions. It was hard, but rewarding. After sporadic attempts to remember how each drill went, she’d finally gotten back into the groove of it all and was set to get back into combat shape with as many morning practices as she could get in.

Kat gave one final thrust, snapped back into a starting position before letting her arms fall down with a exhausted exhale. Wiping the sweat from her face with the back of her arm, her eyes wandered the scenery around her. It was beautiful, she had to say. Rolling hills of green dotted with trees and boulders that ended at the enormous black lake and high mountains surrounding the opposite shores. The peaks were dark and topped with snow and a ring of mist from the white melting to rising temperatures farther down the craggy slopes. It made her feel like she was in some fancy medieval fantasy movie with her long sword in hand.

A faint echoing bark drew her gaze over to the cabin farther down the hill. She could just make out the shape of Hagrid moving around outside in his garden and who she assumed to be Fang hopping about. It brought a smile to her face remembering her eventful introduction to the big boarhound yesterday. All floppy jowls, endless streams of drool, and booming barks, but she’d given him all the scratches and pets he begged for, much to Hagrid’s surprise and pleasure.

Giving in to her protesting muscles, she dropped down to sit on the soft ground and balanced her blade over her folded legs. It was peaceful. So very different from Chicago, but also from the miles of flat corn and soy fields of her hometown. Her fingers twitched with the urge to sketch the breathtaking feel of it all, but she repressed it and just tried to bask. She took a few deep breaths and pictured her worries flowing out with the air. Soon she felt blessedly relaxed and slumped back to lay on the ground. Oh, god, it felt so good.

The moment was broken at the sound of movement, quiet on the grass, but just enough for her to pick up. Every muscle in her stiffened, but she stayed as she was and strained her ears to try and make out just what was so close. It neared, sounding like something on four feet instead of two, and the faintest sound of sniffing. An animal then.

She cracked one eye and glanced around, but found nothing there. Fuck it. Throwing caution to the wind, she sat up and swiveled her head around, only to freeze when she saw just what it was. A big, black dog between her and the hulking Whomping Willow. Oh fucking hell. Her previously clear head burst into action with a chaotic screech and her throat constricted in panic. Sirius mother fucking Black.

The dog stopped as well when she saw him, ears dropping back and tail going stiff and alert. He looked like absolute shit. Visibly thin through tangled and matted fur and covered in burrs, leaves, and twigs. How in the hell had he gotten here already?! Trekking from London to fucking Scotland should have taken him months! What was she supposed to do? Would he attack her? His mental state had to be in shambles after twelve years of confinement with only his worst memories.

Kat swallowed thickly, pushed her sword away, and turned towards him fully. Best not keep a weapon in hand. It would only make him nervous and aggressive. His nose was twitching like crazy and his bright grey eyes flicked to the right of her and back a few times. She looked down as well and wanted to smack a hand to her forehead at the obviousness of it all. Beside her a small satchel with her breakfast in it, saved for after her drills. He must smell it. Well, she’d just have to give it to him. Try to earn his trust.

“Hey there, poochie,” she said softly, forcing herself to relax and smiled. “Aren’t you a big thing. I didn’t realize they had this many dogs all over Hogwarts.”

Her words seemed to work a bit. His stance relaxed slightly and ears popped up, but he stayed a good ten feet away. Taking another calming breath, she shifted and pulled the satchel in her lap. “You look hungry. I was just about to have breakfast myself.” She opened the bag and was relieved to see that the house elves had packed more food that she could possibly eat. Sweet, but overly enthusiastic creatures.

First was what she’d come to learn was a kipper butty, or more commonly known as a fucking herring sandwich. Her nose wrinkled up at the smell. She liked fish, but not this stuff. Ugh. Her eyes went back up to Sirius, finding him a few feet closer and staring at the sandwich intently. Well, if he was interested…

“Do you want it?” she asked, holding it out as far from her as she could. He licked his chops greedily. “Be my guest. I can’t stand herring.” And with that, she tossed it over to him. It barely touched the grass before he was on it, gobbling the thing down in three bites. She couldn’t help but laugh when he sat down, looking much happier licking his chops more and wagging his tail.

“At least someone enjoyed it,” she said, smiling and pulling out the next thing. That was another sandwich, this time with some ham. Or what the rest of the world called bacon. Much better. That one she put in her lap and dug in for more. Muffins, toast, and sausages. Jeeze, they really had given her enough for two people. What would be best for a starving man who just so happened to be a dog? Protein and carbs!

She tossed out the toast and settled back to eat her sandwich while Sirius inhaled the bread. He was kind of cute, she had to say. Pitch black, slightly curly fur, big expressive grey eyes that showed more intelligence than most dogs, pointed ears, and a very long, active tail. Almost big enough for her to slap a saddle on and ride around like he was some fancy mount. The idea had her laughing silently into her food and him tilting his head to the side at her. Goddamn cute. He really had the dog thing down.

Maybe she could get him closer. She took a sausage and tossed it out, but much closer to her. The distance didn’t phase him at all and he jumped on it instantly, almost swallowing the thing whole in his haste to fill his stomach. The next was even closer and closer until he was just within arms reach.

With a sausage in hand, Kat eyed him. “I only have two left,” she said, enjoying more of his head tilts. “They’re yours but I want some payment, bub. I haven’t gotten to pet a dog in years. Even if you are stinky and dirty, can you give me at least that?” There was no answer, of course. Just hungry eyes locked on the sausage and the slightest of tail wags. Good enough.

She held out her hand flat and held her breath as he moved closer. Yellowed teeth carefully plucked it from her palm and eat it up in two bites. While he munched, she reached out, keeping her hand where she could see it, and stroked the top of his head. It was like silk. Holy shit. How could someone that hadn’t had a bath in twelve fucking years be so soft?

To her delight, he leaned into the touch, eyes dropping closed and tail going straight. A coo of adoration escaped her and she grinned when one eye opened slightly to look at her with what she swore was smugness. The smarmy bastard. The last sausage was handed over, gobbled up fast, but he didn’t bolt after. Instead, he settled down and let her continue to pet him.

A familiar comforting warmth spread in her chest and had her sighing while enjoying the feel of his fur. At least until her finger was jabbed by an offending burr. She clicked her tongue and tugged it free, tossing it over her shoulder. It was like he had half the damn forest stuck to him. It couldn’t be comfortable. So, she began to pick out twigs and leaves, one by one. He seemed to enjoy it by how he stretched out and let out little rumbles of pleasure.

Kat wasn’t sure how long she sat there, steady cleaning him off as best she could, but the distant  _ dong _ of the clock tower reminded her she did have other things to do today. Her fingers stopped and rested on his rump, earning her a look of ‘why’d you stop?’.

“Well, doggo, it’s time for me to go back inside,” she said, sighing and gathering up the scattered scraps of cloth from breakfast. “But-” She grabbed her sheath and quickly slid her sword inside. “I like you and you seem to like me. Want to be my buddy?”

Sirius stood and turned to face her, ears up straight and head tilted. “It’d be good setup, ya know,” she continued, standing and brushing loose grass off her pants. “It means I’ll share my breakfast with you. Plus more pets and scratches. And I get to have a fluffy friend. Sound good?”

The mention of food had his tail wagging and she grinned when his mouth fell open into a matching doggy grin, tongue and all. “Let’s shake on it.” She held out a hand and laughed when he sat down and slapped a paw into her palm. “You’re awfully smart for a stray,” she muttered while shaking. His ears drooped a bit and there was the unmistakable glint of worry in those grey eyes. “Who ever was your owner before must have trained you well,” she added quickly, not wanting to scare him off.

“I’ll be back tomorrow morning. I’ll bring extra so we can get some meat on you.” With one last scratch between his ears, she turned and headed back to the school. Though not without peeking back one last time. He’d already ran off, his tail disappearing into the dark shadows of the Forbidden Forest.


End file.
